


Not that I miss you

by AlisaRB



Series: Over Anticipate [1]
Category: The Walking Dead
Genre: AU, F/M, Familiar fic, Family Fluff, Fluff, bethyl, daryl x beth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-21
Updated: 2015-07-12
Packaged: 2018-04-05 09:03:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 32,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4173981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlisaRB/pseuds/AlisaRB
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daryl meets Maggie in a very unconventional way, and despite their differences they soon become friends. Daryl becomes a member of the Greene family, and for the first time in his life he's surrounded by people who love him for who he really is. But when he meets Beth, he realizes that he's been luckier than he thought.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This first chapter has not been edited -it's in proccess- but since people liked "Fright Night" I wanted to show you the prelude of that one-shot.  
> Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Jen for editing this to me. I really need to start paying you.  
> This is the prequel of "Fright Night". How they met, how they fell in love. Everything.  
> Enjoy!

Daryl wasn’t the best guy in the world. Actually, he’d been a dick almost his whole life. Living with an abusive and alcoholic father and being under the influence of a brother like Merle, more problematic than anything, weren’t the ideal elements for someone to grow up and become a useful, kind person, someone who had a basic understanding of the words “empathy”, “compassion” or “manners”.

 

But he could change. He’d got rid of the curse that the Dixons had carried for years. He decided that even though he couldn’t choose whether he loved his brother or not, since that would be something that he would do no matter what–Merle would always be one of his biggest weaknesses- he wasn’t going to let Merle drag him to the dark. Instead, he would try and fend for himself, in a completely different sense of what his family had taught him. A kind of survival that had nothing to do with how to get food or how to stay alive in the middle of the forest for days with anything except his own sense of direction.

 

It wasn’t like he just woke up one day wanting to change. It was exactly the morning that Merle entered jail for the following five years. There were too many witnesses, too much proof against him to avoid his sentence, and a large criminal record that took away the benefit of the doubt.

 

Daryl saw how two police officers dragged his brother into the police car the same day he turned thirty-one. Standing in the doorway of the building that was falling apart where they had entered by busting the lock; he had watched Merle gazing at him through the car window. He was smiling in that fucking way that always used when he was about to get himself into trouble. Like any other time, he knew that things were going to get bad for Daryl. As if he didn’t believe that Daryl was able to live without him, when in fact it was Merle who always made his life full of problems.

That time it wasn’t going to happen.

 

So that very first morning, Daryl picked up the few things he owned, put them in a bag and got on Merle’s- now his- bike, heading for a new place. A new future.

 

He was surprised at how fast he found a job. It wasn’t like it was the best- or best paying- job in the world, but it still was work. He just had to work four hours a day cleaning the halls of the Veterinarian school. It wasn’t so difficult. Mopping the building’s halls and throwing venomous looks to students who stepped where he had just cleaned.

 

And that was how he met Maggie.

 

Lee, one of his colleagues, somehow convinced him to take his shift so he could take his girlfriend out for their anniversary. Not even knowing how, Daryl ended up working a Friday night cleaning the library without extra pay. He consoled himself by thinking that he hadn’t had a better plan for that night, which was really kind of sad.

 

It was almost ten at night when Daryl finished his shift. Trying to be as silent as possible, he collected his cleaning supplies, wondering what Merle would say about him holding a mop, worried about that stain on the floor which seemed to need more than bleach. He could hear him saying “my lil’ brother’s a fuckin’ housewife” followed by a mocking laugh. Fuck, even locked up, Merle was as annoying as usual.

 

He got out of the library, happy that his shift was finally ending, and thought about his options: going to a bar and getting a drink or going home and finishing the beers that were left in his fridge. The idea of a bar full of people while he drank alone wasn’t the most appealing thought, but going home alone meant dealing with the overwhelming silence again.

He didn’t realize he was standing in the middle of the stairs of the library entry until he felt something hit his shoulder.

“Sorry” he heard someone mutter. He turned around and saw a tall, pretty girl who was being practically dragged along behind another boy even taller than her.

“Keep fucking walking” he grunted, twisting her wrist. The girl scrunched her face in pain while she tried to get rid of him. She didn’t stop wiggling and struggling, and at some point, the boy turned suddenly, stepping so close to her he didn’t leave an inch, and he pushed her against the railing, “You better stop _now_ ”.

She was so shocked that she just nodded and followed him to the parking lot.

 

That was the first alarm. It was the moment when Daryl should have taken his keys, gotten on his bike and driven home to drink until he passed out and slept until midday.

But instead, he started walking towards the couple, keeping a fair amount of distance between them. A part of him wanted to believe that it was just a typical lovers’ fight, and that she would throw herself into his arms at any second, and he could just forget about it and leave, but another tiny part of him, and unfortunately the realistic one, seemed to be shouting exactly the opposite. And, for some reason, he felt responsible for that girl. He’d seen her panicked face. He knew that if he left, he’d be feeling like shit, wondering what would have happened to her.

So he followed them.

 

The parking lot was not very far away from the library, and the boy had parked his car near Daryl’s bike, so he just had to pretend that he was fidgeting with something while he watched them from the corner of the eye.

The girl was just terrified. Her eyes were flooding with tears while she was trying to calm him down and feign normality every time someone passed by. She nodded and smiled softly, as if nothing was going on, and he was getting more and more pissed off, pressing her again against the side of the car.

At some point, he was almost bent over her, with their faces just inches away. She was with her back facing Daryl, so he could see that dick’s face. He was red with rage.

“Who the fuck d’you think you are, huh!? So that’s what you do when you go to the library? You flirt with guys? That’s why you _study_ so hard, Maggie? FUCK!” he shouted, hitting the car window. The girl he had called Maggie shuddered as she felt the vibrations from the blow, leaning farther back so she could get more distance between her and her boyfriend.

“Mark, listen, it’s not what you think, it really isn’t, I-”

“Why the fuck are you lyin’ to me, Maggie?”

She seemed confused.

“I’ve never lied to you, Mark, I swear, I never did, I would never-”

“And what were you doing with that jackass over there, huh? You like guys watching you? That’s why you wear those jeans, isn’t it? So guys can stare at your legs and tell you what you wanna hear? You’re a slut, that’s what you are!”

Suddenly, the girl seemed to rise from her position and move him away a few inches.

“What the hell is _wrong_ with you? I was helping a friend! And what about my jeans, huh? I wear them ‘cause I like ‘em! I used to wear them before you and I’m not gonna stop now! I don’t have to explain myself, especially to you, so fuck off!” she tried to get off of him again, pushing away from her, but he grabbed her by her wrist and forced her to face him, but before she could open her mouth to protest, he slapped her.

 

That was the second alarm. _Dixon, get out of here_ , his mind seemed to shout, but his body was already moving.

The third warning he got that he was in big trouble as soon as he realized that his knuckles were bloody and he had that boy crashed against the back of the car, his nose broken and scared shitless. That was all he was, a little terrified shit.

“You’re not so tough now, huh, bastard? Hittin’ your girl ‘cause she puts you in your place? Well you got really bad luck, boy. You pissed off the wrong guy” he snarled.

“Hey, hey!” he heard the girl scream, trying to move him away, “Get off him! Get off him!”

“C’mon, he deserves it” he growled without looking at her.

“He’s not worth it” she said, touching his arm, trying to make him drop the boy. He took a few seconds to react, until he exhaled and freed him, getting away quickly towards his bike.

“I’m gonna sue you, motherfucker!” the boy shouted, “I’m gonna sue you and you’re gonna be so fucking sorry! You’re just the redneck who cleans the floor, you dumbass!”

That was the moment Daryl’s patience officially ran out. Without a word, he turned right back around, and before anyone could stop him, he punched the boy so hard in the jaw that he sent him straight to the ground. And he didn’t move anymore. He stayed there, lying between whimpers while some people who were getting out of the library started approaching the jackass to help him.

Daryl looked at his bloody knuckles with a frown. He knew that even though now it wasn’t hurting, tomorrow he was going to be in a massive amount of pain when he tried to move his hand. He moved away from the crowd, and since no one stopped him, he got on his bike and put the keys in the ignition.

“Wait” the girl said, walking towards him.

“You’ve got me in enough trouble for today” he grunted. She looked at him for an instant with an offended expression.

“I just wanted to thank you. Damn.” she countered angrily.

“You already did”.

“You always this charming?”

“Just when I’m about to be fired for not minding my own damn business”.

“They’re not gonna fire you”.

“Whatever you say” he snorted.

“I’ll tell everyone what happened. I’ll tell them that he slapped me and that you defended me. I’ll tell them the truth and no one could fire you after that”.

Daryl watched her for a few moments before he sighed. He _really_ needed a beer.

“You shouldn’t let him hit you. He’s an asshole”.

“I know. He had never hit me before. He’s been always a bit… well, he has bad temper, but he’s never hit me. I wanted to react, but as soon as I tried to you showed up and beat the shit outta him” an amused smile spread across her face. Soon it was covered by a frown, “Fuck, your hand is awful”.

Daryl looked down and found his raw knuckles grabbing the handlebar tightly .

“It’s not that bad” he answered, shrugging.

“I have to thank you”.

“’S fine”.

“No, I want to,” she replied, suddenly cheered up, “What about southern hospitality?”

“I think that’s only valid if you’re not southern yourself” he said, smiling before he could help it. She held out her hand.

“I’m Maggie. Maggie Greene”.

Daryl accepted her hand reluctantly.

“Daryl Dixon” he answered.

“Okay, Daryl Dixon” she started, “what about this? I’m buying you a drink”.

“Nah ‘s fine” he repeated, visibly uncomfortable.

“Hey, I’m not trying to flirt with you or anything, don’t let it go to your head, huh?” Maggie joked, “I just wanted to thank you. C’mon, one beer, and if I’m a pain in the ass, you can tell me with no shame”.

Daryl sighed exasperatedly. She wouldn’t let up until he gave in.

“Fine. _One_ beer” he added in an authoritative tone. Maggie’s smile widened as she approached to climb on the back of the bike, “Hey, hey, what you think you’re doing?”

“You don’t expect me to ask my ex-boyfriend for his car, do you?” she asked.

“A’right, damn, but be careful” he said, moving so she could have more room.

He drove to the nearest bar and they had one, and two, and eventually he had consumed four beers. Maggie got him into a taxi and let him sleep in the old bedroom of her brother Shawn. Maggie kept calling him the next weekends, and somehow, they ended up being friends. He soon discovered that that girl wasn’t lying when she assured that she was tough: as soon as he knew her he wondered what that Mark was thinking when he dared to raise his hand against her. Automatically after, he wondered what she was thinking when she started dating that jerk.

 

In one way or another, Daryl always ended up at Maggie’s. It wasn’t like he was great with women –actually, the few relationships he had had with them had been pretty _turbulent_ \- but this one… he liked her. He really did. She stopped being “a chick” in his head and started being just Maggie. The girl who he could burp in front of shamelessly and talk about “masculine” things without scaring her off. He just didn’t see her as a member of the opposite sex. And it seemed like Maggie saw him the same way.

 

However, to Maggie’s father Hershel, that wasn’t that easy. He was absolutely convinced that he was her boyfriend, and for some reason, Hershel liked that strange but good “boyfriend”. That’s why every time Daryl went to her house to pick her up to go to some bar nearby, using going to have dinner as an excuse –since Hershel had had a harsh past with alcohol and Maggie still wasn’t allowed to drink- he always ended up sitting in that sofa in the middle of a strange living room. It wasn’t like he had lots of experience with them, but they had invited him to have dinner more than once, and even though Maggie and Daryl tried to explain in multiple occasions that they weren’t a couple, as soon as he appeared in the front door, it seemed like they forgot everything else.

 

Daryl was soon familiarized with the Greenes. Maggie had her dad Hershel and his wife Annette. Annette was Maggie’s stepmother, since Josephine, her biological mother, passed away when Maggie was about twelve. When she was fourteen Hershel met Annette, and she didn’t just dis like the woman –she simply hated her. She started drinking, smoking and acting like a rebel teen. That was when Hershel really knew his daughter and her nonconformist, passionate and rebel way. Over time, her teenage phase faded and Annette and Maggie started loving each other as a family.

Maggie had also two siblings, her older stepbrother Shawn, who had moved to Atlanta a while ago and her little sister Beth. Daryl had met Shawn in one of those times he had gone to have dinner. Shawn was a bit taller than him, and as soon as Daryl saw his muscles, he knew that he wasn’t the kind of guy to mess with.

 

However, he barely saw Beth. It was strange how even though he visited more and more the Greene farm she still didn’t appear. He had seen her, of course; she used to go downstairs silently to sit down and have dinner with her gaze fixed in her plate and without saying a word unless someone asked her something directly. The first thing that Daryl thought of her was that she looked like a little bird, so skinny and wary. She was barely able to look him in the eye. But _he_ had seen _her_ eyes, of course he had. Blue, deep and big, decorated with long eyelashes that gave her some aura of innocent mystery. But she was a child nonetheless. She was just sixteen.

 

Daryl almost didn’t get away with the incident with the asshole. The news reached the ears of the head master, who, at first, didn’t hesitate to assure Daryl that he would be out on his ass within the next week, but because Maggie made sure that everyone on campus found out the truth, the dismissal never occurred, but he was given a grave warning: next time, he’d go straight to the unemployed line. That was the first favor Maggie did to him.

 

And to celebrate, he took her to a bar.

* * *

 

The day he turned thirty-two, it was also Merle’s first anniversary of being in jail. Daryl mustered up the courage and visited him at prison, where Merle told him very kindly that he could leave and find somewhere else to put his compassion. That day, Daryl decided that he wouldn’t go out and that he’d get drunk on his own for the first time in months.

 

Maggie was soon at his house. She opened the door and entered as if she was in her own house, while Daryl dropped the second empty can of many on the table and watched some junk on TV with glassy eyes.

“Daryl, what are you doing?” she scolded him, “We were waiting on you for dinner”.

“Didn’ wanna go t’day” he grunted, burping shamelessly. It was then when he realized that his friend wasn’t alone. Beside her was the tiny figure of her baby sister Beth, hidden under the doorway as if she was afraid to come in. He felt suddenly uncomfortable. With Maggie he could be as loud as he wanted, but with her…

“Excuse you” Maggie sighed as she turned on the lights. Daryl closed his eyes when he felt the blinding light of the ceiling fixture. The older sister approached the TV and switched it off, and then went towards him and grabbed him by his arm to move him from his sofa, “C’mon, damn, you’re not exactly light-weighted”.

“I’m good here, can’t you tell your dad that I can’t go today?”

“I’m not going to cover you in front of my dad and Annette” she said, “Daryl, have you moved from here since you got from work?” Daryl didn’t answer, “Fine, alright. I’ll give you fifteen minutes to have a shower and get in my car. Otherwise, I promise you I’ll come back here and I’ll kick your ass so hard that you’ll wish you weren’t born”.

Daryl believed her. Maggie wasn’t the typical sissy girl who made threads that she didn’t intend in carry out. And it wasn’t like he was afraid of her but, and even if he wouldn’t recognize it in a million years, Maggie was intimidating.

He showered quickly, closed his apartment door and got on the car with a pout on his face.

“Hi” he heard Beth mutter. He answered with a short nod.

“Fine, let’s go” Maggie sighed as she started the car.

When they arrived at the Greene farm, Annette was sitting on the porch, focused on her task. She looked up from the needlework she was putting together and smiled, in that sweet and maternal way that made Daryl nervous, reminding him how that could have been his home and how she could have been his mom.

“Evenin’” she greeted him fondly as she stood up from the rocking chair.

“You don’t need to stand up” he murmured as he let her hug him carefully. Annette was intelligent enough to know that Daryl wasn’t an affectionate man, and because of that she tried to reduce her displays of affection, “Evenin’”.

“I’m glad you’re back. I need some help to set the table, could you help me Beth?” the girl nodded before she followed her mother. Maggie turned towards Daryl.

“Okay, I wanted to tell you on the phone, but since for some reason you had decided to become a hermit-”

“Tell me what?” Maggie grinned, excited.

“I’ve met someone”

“No, Mags, not again” Daryl sighed, rubbing his eyes. Maggie’s smile widened.

“It’s different this time, really! He’s nothing like Roy, or Luke, or-“

“ _Mark_ , I hope” he replied bitterly.

“That’s evident” she answered with an offended tone, “C’mon, aren’t you happy for me?”

“Don’t be dumb. Course I am, but you don’t have very good luck with guys”.

“Yeah, but this time is different, Daryl, I swear. His name’s Glenn, he’s my age and-“

“Where did you meet him?” he asked distrustfully.

“I was at some party with Luke and that bastard tried to force me to- whatever it doesn’t matter. Anyway, then I-“

“He tried what?” Daryl was struck by sudden rage, “And when were you gonna tell me that?”

Maggie bit her lip, conscious that she had said too much.

“I knew how you would react”.

“I think the way I’m reactin’ is perfectly _logical_ , Maggie”.

“Listen, nothing happened, okay? He tried to and I defended myself. And I didn’t need your help” she added sassily, “The thing is I got out of there, and I was so disoriented. I had had a few drinks and I didn’t know how I was gonna get home. Then I ran into Glenn, the guy who delivered the pizzas, and we started talkin’, and he gave me a ride home, and I gave him my number. Well, we’ve been seeing each other for a few weeks and I really like him” she explained, “I mean it, I think it’s gonna work this time”.

“Mm-hmm. And what does your dad say about you cheating me with this Glenn?” Daryl joked. Maggie snorted.

“He should have realized already that we’re not together. Besides, he’s such a good guy, I’m sure he’ll love him”.

“Sorry” Beth appeared behind the mosquito net, “you want to somethin’ to drink?”

“Yeah, two Cokes” Maggie answered quickly. Beth tried to come back to get them, but Maggie whistled at her to stop her, “Wait, bring three. Come here and drink with us”.

“I… I gotta help mom. Maybe later” she muttered before she left in a rush. Maggie laughed softly.

“She’s like a little bird, so afraid of everything” Daryl froze when he heard her. It was like Maggie could read his mind, “She’s not as innocent as she looks though. You’ll never guess who I found the other day speaking the universal oral language behind the barn the other day.

Daryl’s eyes widened.

“Yeah, right”.

“I swear”.

“Beth was…?” Daryl made an obscene gesture. Maggie raised her eyebrows.

“Damn, Daryl, she’s a child. Kissing, I mean _kissing_!”

“Oh” he answered, blushing deeply. He felt flushing even more when Beth appeared again carrying two bottles of Coke, “Thanks” he said without looking at her directly. The very thought that he had imagined her like that for an instant made him even more embarrassed. Maggie started laughing as soon as the door closed again.

“You’re sick” she said.

“Who was she with?”

“He’s… Jimmy, I think. I’ve seen him a few times when I pick her up from school, but they were just talking, and every time I told her to do somethin’ with him, she would look at me as if I had told her to throw herself against him or something like that. And look at her now. Oh, I’m so proud of her. She’s not a kid anymore”.

“You said she was a child five seconds ago” Daryl countered.

“And you just insinuated that I caught her sucking some dude’s dick” Maggie lowered her voice at the end of the sentence, “It feels like just a week ago she was thirteen and she wouldn’t come out from behind Annette’s skirt. In lots of senses she hasn’t changed, ya know? She’s still the same good, obedient Beth who does everything that daddy commands. I swear she’s getting more like him all the time”.

“Believe me, your dad is not a dictator at all” he answered bitterly while he took the bottle to his lips.

“Nah, but he’s not the most comprehensive man either. I mean, he’s so… old-fashioned. And Beth is becoming just like him. God, she’s seventeen, she should be hanging out, going from one party to another, drinking and kissing a thousand boys, having fun and talking with her friends about the guys she’d like to hook up with… at least that’s how I remember my teen years”.

“It’s not weird that she don’t wanna get lit or be constantly worried ‘cause she doesn’t know if she’s knocked up or not, Maggie. She’s seventeen, she’s got plenty time to try all those things. And let’s say your teen years weren’t _exemplary_ ”.

“Look who’s talking”.

“That’s why I say it”.

“But I’m worried. She’s afraid of trying anything different; her life is the same every single day. On the weekends its a miracle if I get her to hang out with her friends. She just wants to read, or play the piano and be with us. But on the other hand I’m scared that she’ll get hurt. She’s so… sweet and naïve and she’s nothing like the rest of the girls her age. I’m not saying she’s childish, but I don’t-“

“Hey, hey, hold on” Daryl interrupted her, “There ain’t nothin’ wrong with that, ‘kay?” Believe me; my teen years were much worse than yours, same with Merle’s. I would let her be. If she’s happy doing all that stuff, let her do it. If she wants to change she will”.

“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of” Maggie countered, “I’m afraid that someday she’ll get tired of this and my dad won’t let her change. I’m afraid that she’ll try to become independent and she won’t be able to. Don’t get me wrong, I love my dad so much, but I know he doesn’t really like change. I’m scared that Beth keeps doing the same things even if they don’t make her happy anymore just to not let him down. She never wants to let anybody down”.

Daryl sighed.

“Daryl!” he heard at his back. He turned around and saw Hershel walking towards the porch with a grin from ear to ear. He shook his hand strongly, “It’s good to see you. How are you?”

“Fine, fine, thanks” he replied. He looked at Maggie, trying to tell her somehow that their chat about Glenn wasn’t over yet, and they all entered the dining room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and please comment!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter hasn't been edited yet, since I just translated it. Please ignore every possible mistake.  
> Enjoy!

Dinner went as smooth as always. Hershel didn’t stop asking him about his job and his life in general, as if it wasn’t only hanging out with Maggie and his co worker Lee every once and then, cleaning med school’s floors, hunting and sleeping. And even though Hershel was intrigued by Daryl’s strange hobby, he looked pretty contrary to it.

“I don’t like guns, Daryl, I’ve never liked them” he would assure, “Why not raise animals if you wanna eat ‘em?” and Daryl would always shrug and keep eating. Why did he like hunting? Because it was the only thing he could do well. Hunting was one of the very few things he’d learnt from that asshole he had as a dad, and even though he hated admitting it, he liked it. He liked being focused in a simple task, in focusing all of his attention in one target and chasing it until he caught it. The idea of feed a cow for months and fattening it to eat it didn’t excite him. What was the fun in it?

 

During that dinner, he couldn’t stop looking at Beth. He was still pretty surprised because of what Maggie had told him about her little sister. Truth is, if she had done worse things than sneaking out to make out with some boy, she hid it pretty well. That night she had her hair collected in a side braid that fell softly over her shoulder, and her eyes were still as focused in her dinner as the last time he had had supper there. She turned occasionally to answer politely to her mother about something she asked her, and then she kept eating. He hadn’t been wrong at thinking she was like a little bird: she ate like one. She ate slowly, picking little bites, chewing them slowly, as if she made a great effort, before she swallowed it and cleaned her mouth discretely with her cloth napkin, interleaving the bites with sips of water.

 

The thing is, even if it was a “happy” day, his birthday, or at least the day he was supposed to feel cheerful, he was far from happiness. It was the only time that he didn’t really want to be sitting there and surrounded by that perfect family while his was in jail and sending him to hell, as if it was his fault that Merle couldn’t stay still for once and don’t do stupid shit. What he really wanted right then was to pick up his crossbow and go hunting. Get some distraction with something that could allow him to empty his mind for a few hours.

 

But since he couldn’t, he decided to use his hunter’s skills in looking at Beth. He tried to imagine the boy like some kid of her age, tall, gawky, with a blurry face, who leaned towards her slowly, trying to seal her lips with his. He wondered if Beth would really want that. He couldn’t imagine her standing on her tiptoes to reach him, or throwing her arms around his neck or something like that.

_Yes, you’re sick, Dixon_ , he thought bitterly as he massaged his temples. His head was throbbing. Why the fuck did it hurt so much? Suddenly all the smells were intensified: the chicken in front of him, Annette’s perfume, the night air coming through the window…

“Are you okay, Daryl?” Annette sweetly asked him, resting a hand in his arm. Daryl nodded, dazed. He tried to stand up, but he felt how his feet stumbled, and the next he knew was that he was in the floor.

“Daryl!” Maggie exclaimed, kneeling beside him, “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Son, look at me” Hershel affably indicated him. Daryl lifted his head to obey, but as soon as he did so, he knew that he had to get out of there. He stood up with great difficulty, and he just could get to the porch and bend over the railing before he threw up soundly.

“Fuck” he heard Maggie mutter.

“Maggie, language!” Hershel scolded her rudely. He felt his hand leaning heavily on his shoulder, “C’mon, I think you need rest. We’ll get you to Shawn’s room”.

“No, no…” he shook his head, “’M okay, I’m fine, I just have to drink some water”.

“I don’t think some water will be the solution” Annette answered, touching his forehead, “You’re burning. Bed, now”.

Maggie and Annette tried to make him go upstairs, but the man was too heavy, and he was completely unable to move a single muscle even though he tried. He was suddenly exhausted.

“It would be much better if we put him in Beth’s room, since hers is downstairs. Just for tonight” Maggie added when she saw Beth’s confused expression, “You can sleep in Shawn’s bedroom”.

And Beth nodded, because she always did.

 

As soon as he felt the softness of the mattress under him, he fell asleep. It was like his eyelids were made of concrete and he needed to close them. He let the sleep take him over, and his last incoherent thought he fell asleep was about Beth going to visit Merle at jail.

* * *

When he woke up the next morning, the first thing he heard was a voice. A sweet, soft voice that was singing slowly, as if it was lulled by the wind to the sound of the notes of a piano. Light entered through the window directly to his face, so he turned to avoid it. He got up, feeling sore everywhere, as if he had run a marathon instead of puking. He felt something moist in her forehead, and pulled away the rag that they had put in him. He stood up completely, feeling a little bit lighter than last night, and he headed towards the living room to find the source of that voice.

 

He found her sitting at the piano, her back facing him while she dragged the notes out of the piano delicately. At first, he thought she was an angel. And she was certainly the most alike thing to an angel that he had ever seen. Her blonde hair fell all over her back in soft waves, and she was wearing a blue sky dress that was loose from her hips to her long, white legs, which ended in some camel sandals.

 

_And pine for summer_

_And we’ll buy a beer to shotgun_

_And we’ll lay in the lawn_

_And we’ll be good_

Daryl felt a fit of coughing and he couldn’t help clearing his throat. It was enough to startle Beth, who turned around suddenly, all wide eyes and deeply blushed cheeks. She stood up brusquely, approaching him to help him, Daryl guessed, but he made a gesture and she stopped immediately.

“’M fine” he got to articulate in between coughs. His throat finally stopped being a bitch and he glazed at her. She looked away quickly, as usual.

“Morning” she said before she smoothed her dress, “How are you feeling?”

“I’ll survive” he answered. A small smile appeared in her lips, but she seemed to contain it, “Sorry I took your bed”.

“It’s not big deal” she assured. An awkward silence appeared between them, one that Beth solved quickly when she approached the piano to pick up the scores, “Shawn came back. My dad insisted that he had to go to the service. I was gonna go too, but daddy said that you’d like to see someone when you woke up. I’m supposed to be taking care of you, but I think I’m not being a very good nurse” she smiled shyly.

“Nah, you’re doing alright” he replied, “And that dress?”

Beth looked at herself, as if she had just realized she was wearing it.

“I always wear this dress on Sundays” she explained quietly as she closed the piano lid, “You’re not supposed to eat harmful things for your stomach, but I think some toasts won’t hurt. What do you think?”

It was the maximum of words Beth had ever dared to say to him since they first met. And this time, it was him who felt infinitely stupid.

“No, I’m not hungry” she nodded, “Why don’t you go ahead and play some more? Keep singing”.

Beth’s eyes widened, surprised.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea” she muttered with a nervous smile.

“Why not? Your voice’s pretty” and that was all that Daryl would be able to say to convince her. Judging by the way her cheeks flushed, he knew it was enough.

“Well, if you want to…” she said before she turned around and retraced her way to the piano. She lifted the lid again, repositioned the scores and cleared her throat softly. Daryl approached her and sat down on the armchair, looking through the window while he bit his thumbnail. Beth started playing the keys again, raising her voice more than she ever did.

 

_And we’ll buy a beer to shotgun_

_And we’ll lay in the lawn_

_And we’ll be good_

_Now I’m laughing at my boredom_

_At my string of failed attemps_

_. . ._

When the Greene family arrived, they found Daryl and Beth sitting in the porch, one in front of the other, laughing and talking as if they were two old friends. Maggie’s jaw dropped when she saw the hint of a smile in Daryl’s lips. _Smile._

She felt a light pressure in her shoulder when Shawn leaned over her to whisper:

“What have I missed?”

* * *

 

Daryl stayed that night too, just because he knew that Annette wouldn’t let him go without being completely recovered, even though the fever had remitted and the only symptom left was a slight headache and his churning stomach.

Since Shawn was back, Daryl couldn’t stay in his room even if he was able now to go upstairs, but he refused to take Beth’s bed again and make her sleep on the couch. It wasn’t like he thought of himself as a gentleman, but he definitely wasn’t _that_ asshole.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay in my room? I don’t mind sleeping here” she insisted one last time as she helped him extend a blanket.

“Me neither”

“Yeah, but you’re convalescent” she said with a half-grin. Daryl was surprised by how quickly she had become familiar with him. Last night she couldn’t look him in the eye and now she was teasing him.

“I’m tough” he played along.

“Right” Beth approached him and put her hand on his forehead. Until that moment he hadn’t noticed that she had grew a few inches. Since he had only seen her sitting in the table, he couldn’t realize that she was taller. Before she didn’t reach his shoulder, and now the crown of her head was slightly over it. But she was still small. A small bird, he thought.

“You don’t have a fever yet” she murmured, removing her hand and moving away. Daryl saw that her face was burning red, as if she was the one with fever, “I’m gonna bring you an aspirin for the headache”.

“Not necessary” he said, but she was already left. He turned around when he heard a giggle behind him. Maggie was resting on the door frame, looking at him.

“Oh. My. God” she emphasized every word as her laughter became louder.

“What?” he grunted.

“Daryl Dixon, you’re a Casanova”.

“What’re you talking ‘bout?”

“I’m talking about that “The Notebook” moment that I just witnessed.

“You’re crazy”.

“Maybe, but I know what I’ve seen” she countered firmly.

“She’s a kid, for Christ’s sake”.

“Eh, eh” she raised her arms, “I’m not saying you’re the one interested, but it’s obvious my sister is head over wheels for you. God, how can I’ve missed this for so long? Now I get why she was so shy around you…”

“She’s not _head over wheels_ for me”

“Of course she is. ‘You don’t have a fever yet’” she said in a perfect imitation of her sister’s soft voice, “I’m telling you, if you had kissed her she would’ve been more than willing”.

“Didn’t she have a boyfriend? Kevin or something?”

“Jimmy” she answered.

“Whatever”.

“But you’re her platonic love” she huffed exasperatedly when she saw the hunter’s expression, “Christ, Daryl, you’re a bit slow. Haven’t you ever met someone you liked a lot, maybe too much, but with whom you know you’ll never have anything? You know, someone you’re in love with in your imagination”.

“That’s girl’s stuff” he grunted, sitting on the couch.

“C’mon. After all this time being friends, do you think I’m the kind of girl to hang up posters of her idols and have lots of platonic loves? It happens to everyone”.

“Not to me”.

“You’ve never been in love?” Maggie asked. Daryl buried his face in his hands.

“And you?”

“Course I have. Everyone’s ever been in love”.

“Well, I haven’t”.

They went silent suddenly. Beth appeared, left a glass of water and a pack of aspirins and disappeared again.

“You’ve never been in love?” she repeated incredulously, “So you’ve never had a girlfriend, or special friend, wife… or anything?”

Daryl sighed.

“You know I’m not really social”.

“I know. But… at least you’ve kissed someone, right?”

Judging by the dirty look that Daryl threw at her, Maggie knew it was time to end her absurd interrogatory.

“Okay, fine, I’m leaving. If you’re feeling sick you can call Beth, I’m sure she’ll be so pleased to help you” she added, laughing as she climbed the stairs.

Daryl opened the aspirins’ pack, took one and turned off the lamp. Everything went dark as he watched the ceiling of Greene’s farm with Hershel’s snores as back sound.

* * *

 

A year after that day, in his thirty-three birthday, Daryl was sitting in the Greene’s porch. Two hours before, his boss had told him that once his contract had finalized, they didn’t need of his services anymore. Without a job and with barely any money, the first place he had come to was the farm in where he had practically lived for a year. However, he had found it completely desert, as always. He had the vague hope to find some signal of life inside the house, but there was no one. He was used to, though: shortly after his thirty-two birthday, Annette was diagnosed with lung cancer, even though she hadn’t tried a single cigarette in her whole life. Doctors couldn’t do anything for her. “Wait and pray” one of them had told Hershel.

 

Wait and pray. How could they say that so calmly? Daryl still felt the rage invading him every time he remembered it.

Since then, Maggie had left to live in the residence, Shawn was still living in Atlanta, now engaged, and Hershel was totally dedicated to his veterinary clinic. Maybe too dedicated, in Daryl’s opinion. Going through a wife’s death for the second time must be hard, but he still had a daughter to take care of. Daryl admired the girl’s entirety considering she was only eighteen and she was alone in a house full of ghosts. Daryl still went to have dinner, but every time with less frequency and just when Shawn or Maggie came back, but he could see how Beth made dinner as her mum had, how she set the table carefully, how she served everyone and smiled politely… when her dad appeared, looking fifty years older, Beth would sat down and squeeze his arm fondly before she took his hand to say grace. She kept getting good marks and she hung out more with her friends, partly because (Daryl suspected) she didn’t want to be on her own in that huge farmhouse, and she seemed as happy as before her mum’s death, or even happier.

 

Yeah, okay, Daryl had looked at her. She definitely wasn’t the same girl he had known two years before. Her hair was much longer, even though since the day of the puking he hadn’t seen her again without a ponytail or a braid, and her body had gained certain womanly curves. She still had a little girl’s face, naïve, sweet and innocent. Yes, she didn’t have the face of a woman, but she talked and acted like one. She seemed to have lost all of her shyness, as if her mom’s death had made her assume the role of lady of the house, and she treated him almost as Annette did, excepting the hugs, that she kept for herself, offering instead warm smiles. It was impossible to not look at her when she was the one who spent more time in the house, even though she spent her days in class, in library, studying at some friend’s house or in the town with her friends.

 

That’s why Daryl was shocked to see Beth reaching the farm while she walked down the dirt road for where cars passed.

“What’re you doing here?” she asked, surprised, when she saw him.

“I could ask you the same thing”.

“I live here” she said with a half smile.

“I know that” he answered, “but you’re supposed to be in class for another two hours, right?”

“It’s just Literature and French, it’s not like I’ve missed something important” Beth felt nervous under the weight of the hunter’s gaze, “Hey, don’t look at me like that, I’m sure you weren’t an exemplary student”.

“Nah, I was actually pretty shitty at school” he admitted, taking out a cigarette from the pack, “But that’s not an excuse for you to skip classes. It’s not your style”.

He took the cigarette to his lips and lit it up without stop looking at her. She finally sighed.

“It’s not like I skip classes every day” she protested, “but today’s different”.

“Why’s that?” he asked with genuine curiosity.

“Daddy said this morning that he’ll probably pass by to have lunch. Maggie told me that she might come if her classes don’t drag out, and maybe she’ll bring Glenn. I haven’t met him yet and I really want to. And we haven’t been all together since…” her voice stopped suddenly before her smile reappeared, “Well, I wanted to make something special, I don’t know… maybe it’s silly, but I wanted to”.

“It’s not silly” he simply answered as he exhaled the smoke. He felt so bad for her. There she was, skipping classes, excited because her family was going to have lunch together like normal families did, just to do something different to surprise the others, as if that was the most special thing in the world.

“I was just going to skip French, but my truck’s broken and there’s a long way from the town, so…” she raised her sight, surprised, “Hey, what’re you doing here, by the way?”

Daryl dropped the cigarette while he tried to gain time to elaborate a less pathetic answer than “I got fired and I didn’t know where to go”.

But since he didn’t found anything better, he just told her.

“I’ve got kicked outta work”.

“No” she exclaimed, “Why?”

“My contract expired and they decided they won’t need me anymore” he said. Beth sat beside him in the porch and squeezed his arm, just as she did with her dad.

“I’m sorry”.

“It’s okay”.

“Hey, you know what’ll cheer you up?” she said suddenly, smiling.

Daryl shook his head. Beth’s smile widened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and please comment!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has not been edited yet. Please forgive any possible mistakes.  
> Enjoy!

Minutes later, as they were sitting in the dining room while the meat was cooking in the oven and they tasted the last slice of a coconut cake, Daryl had to resist the temptation of lick his fingers. He couldn’t help smiling when he saw Beth doing it delicately, with the tip of her lips, with such gentleness that Daryl had the impulse of raise his finger and taste it from her mouth.

 

He cleared his throat, feeling his blood burning through the back of his neck until his cheeks, and he put the plate away.

“I’m full” he declared.

“Me too” she answered, laughing. She leaned on the chair to see the oven from her position, “I think it still needs a while”.

“You make a lotta effort” Daryl muttered.

“Not at all, the oven does the whole hard work” she laughed.

“Wasn’t referring to that” he looked at her, “It’s not like it’s easy to run a house bein’ so young. Let alone after-“

“Don’t worry about me” she assured him, smiling, “I’m okay. Besides, I don’t do it all on my own. Maggie comes more often than you think. Really” she insisted when she saw his expression, “And Patricia and Otis live near here and they help me a lot. Patricia brought the cake yesterday”.

Daryl opened his mouth to answer, but in that instant the phone rang from the living room. Beth stood up in a jump and hurried to answer it. He could hear the whole conversation from his seat.

“Hello? Oh, hi! Yes, it’s almost… oh” her voice faded. Daryl turned around to look at her. Her back was facing him, and she was bent over the phone, almost sinking in herself, “Yeah, sure. I understand. It’s not like… sure, yeah. No, I mean it, I’m good. Daryl’s here. Mm. See you tonight, then. Love you too” and she hung up. She stayed like that for a few instants, silent and totally still. Daryl made as if to stand up and see if she was okay, but then she spun around, as normal as always, “Daddy’s not coming. He has a lotta work in the clinic, so he’ll probably arrive in the evening”.

“But Maggie’s still coming” he tried to console her. She smiled.

“Yeah, I hope she gets to finish soon her classes. She misses being all together too. And you’d have the chance to give his boyfriend your blessing” she joked, trying to light up the whole thing.

Daryl smiled slightly.

“Can you remove the meat from the oven? I need to go to the bathroom” she asked him.

“Sure” he answered. Beth smiled at him again and climbed the stairs quickly, her steps drowning in the carpet. He approached the oven, and looking with a frown at the mittens with polka dots that were hanging in the wall, he removed the meat, trying to not burn his hands. He left it in the counter, and incidentally took the dishes and put them in the sink, trying to kill the time while Beth was in the bathroom.

But as the minutes went on, Daryl’s worry increased. How much time needed girls to use the bathroom? His experience was quite limited: when he hung out with Maggie to some bar, she only needed five minutes maximum if there were more girls waiting, so she wasn’t a very useful example to compare. Maybe Beth was different from her sister even in that. He laughed internally at that. He was starting to rave. Perhaps because Beth wouldn’t come out of the bathroom. The anguish grew in his chest.

 

Fifteen minutes later, Daryl got sick of waiting and climbed the stairs without worrying about being silent, announcing his arrival soundly so Beth could hear him. He reached the door and knocked softly.

“Beth? Beth, you’re okay?” he asked. He heard a little hit, and then the sound of the roll holder.

“Yes, I’m perfectly fine!” she exclaimed through the door, “I’ll be out in a sec, sorry”.

Another knock. He heard her swear.

“Beth, are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah, really, don’t worry!” she assured him again. She had a strange voice, as if she was constipated. Would she be… crying?

Daryl felt uncomfortable. He wasn’t used to have to console no one, and thinking that that was something too personal for the girl to want to share it with him, he left discretely and went back downstairs.

Beth appeared a few minutes later. Her face didn’t show any signs of crying, and she was wearing the same smile.

“Well, I should be setting the table. Four people, right?” she said, almost to herself, as she walked past him towards the kitchen to look for the cutlery. Daryl grunted as an answer. He looked at her for an instant, a fleeting instant, and then he saw it.

“What happened to your arm?” he inquired, pointing at the sleeve of her grey cardigan. There was a dark stain where the garment hid her wrist, as if her skin had got the stain and the sleeve had pressed against it. Beth rolled down her sleeve even more, shaking her head.

“Nothing, I got a stain in Art class” she muttered, putting apart four forks and four knifes. In an instant, Daryl was next to her, grabbing her arm strongly, “It’s paint, it’s-“

The words died in her throat as soon as Daryl rolled up her sleeve. The flesh, white and tender, was marked by pinkish little scars. The most recent one seemed to have been done a very short time ago, since it was still raw.

Daryl felt his mouth go dry. He tried to look at her, but she wouldn’t look at him.

“Beth” he got to say, “Beth”.

“It’s nothing” she murmured, moving away brusquely. She took the cutlery and headed towards the dining room, where she dropped them in the table.

“ _Nothin’_?” he repeated bitterly, “Wow, now I’m a lotta calmer. Hey” he said, stopping in front of her to block the door of her room, “you’re not gonna go just like that”.

“What do you want me to say, Daryl?” Beth replied with a weary tone.

“What do I want you to say? Maybe why your wrist’s like that, Beth. You wanna tell me, or you’d prefer telling Maggie? Or your dad? What do you prefer, Beth?”

“You wouldn’t dare”.

“I would” he affirmed. He relaxed lightly his tone, knowing that he wouldn’t get anything from her like that, “Fuck, why do you do that to yerself?” his tone was almost anguished now.

He tried to lift his hand to touch her, but she moved away. He felt as if she had slapped him.

“I told you I didn’t do all on my own” she whispered, taking a step back, “I’m okay, alright?”

“Beth” he muttered, “you’re not”.

Beth looked at him a second with an expression that he couldn’t decipher. She swallowed hard and opened her mouth, as if she was going to say something, but before he could react she had slipped behind him and got in her room, slamming the door.

“Beth! Beth, open the door!” Daryl started hitting the door, but she didn’t do anything, because the door didn’t open and she stayed silent. He stood there for a while, until he finally desisted and went to the living room.

 

 

The sun had set down a while ago and neither Maggie nor Glenn had appeared, and of course, she hadn’t called to make her sister know that they wouldn’t go. Daryl kind of expected it, but he couldn’t help the rage he felt when he thought that Maggie was spending her whole time with her new boyfriend, ignoring her little sister when her mom had just died. And her dad wasn’t different. Daryl admired Hershel deeply, but what he was doing to Beth wasn’t okay. Forcing a eighteen year-old girl to run a house while her world is falling apart was everything except okay.

 

He decided that he was tired of zapping through the TV, but he couldn’t just go and leave Beth. He stretched in the couch and went to the kitchen, where the meat was still in the counter, now cold. He opened the fridge and realized that it had been years since the last time a drop of alcohol had entered the Greene’s house. He had never missed a cold beer so much as in that moment. It was a night especially humid in Georgia and the heat was merciless. He wiped the sweat of his forehead with the back of his hand and went to the porch. He sat in the floor, with the back resting in the railing, and looked at the terrains that surrounded the farm. He heard the far murmur of a river not very far from there, and maybe, if he perked up his ears, he could hear the light sound of the cars circulating down the road a kilometer away from there.

Daryl wondered if Hershel got home so late every day.

* * *

 

He didn’t know how much time he stayed like that, but suddenly, he felt a presence, and then he saw Beth in front of him, sitting with her back against the railing.

“Hi” she muttered without really looking at him.

“Hi” he answered. They stayed silent for a few seconds, until Beth sighed.

“I’m so sorry. I’m stupid”.

“No” he interrupted her, “You’re not stupid, Beth”.

She bit her lip before she talked again. This time, she looked at the dirt road.

“Do you know… that instant when you wake up, and you don’t know who you are or where you are? A few months ago, if you had asked me, I would’ve said that I felt sadness, but also hope because… because I truly thought she would recover. But now, it’s like in that moment every morning, I feel peace, like floating, and then, gravity crashes me. I can’t breathe, I can’t talk, or cry… there’s no way to get this thing that’s hurting me outta here” she put a hand on her chest, “If I don’t smile, or if I don’t try to keep the hope alive, if I stop thinking that things will get better, I don’t know if I’m gonna be able to keep fighting the gravity”.

“But why?”

“Why this?” she pointed at her wrist, and he nodded, “If it hurts outside, it doesn’t hurt so much inside”.

“Does it really work?”

“For a while it does. But then it’s worse: the pain comes back with more strength. I know we’re all struggling, so I don’t get why…” her voice cracked, and she closed her eyes to avoid her tears spilling, but it was in vain. She bit her lip so hard that Daryl thought she would bleed.

“My mama died when I was eleven. She liked smoking. Too much” he added bitterly, “One day, she falls asleep in the bed with a cigarette still burning in her hand. They couldn’t bury more than ashes”.

Beth looked at him, surprised.

“I’m sorry” Daryl nodded, “How much it takes? In getting over it, I mean”.

“You don’t. You just get used to it”.

Beth nodded that time.

“I remember that my mom always said that there’s nothing worse than losing a child, but losing your mom is also like losing a part of you. The most childish, I guess”.

“You’re still a child”.

Beth smiled tenderly.

“You still see me as a little girl? I’m eighteen, Daryl”.

“Just a kid” he smiled at her. Beth huffed, amused.

“Why, ‘cause I’m not forty five like you?” she joked.

“If that’s a strategy to make me tell you my age, it’s not working” Daryl countered.

“Yeah, I imagine having a thirty birthday… _twice_ must be hard” she commented as if nothing, while she looked at him teasingly. Daryl contained a smile even though she had just insinuated he was sixty.

“I turn thirty three today, girl” he said without thinking. Beth’s eyes widened, surprised. Daryl felt momentarily embarrassed of his age, as if it was something bad to be thirty three. As if it was wrong to keep growing when you passed your twenty-nine birthday.

“Today’s your birthday?” she asked, shocked. Daryl nodded, “God, I’m sorry! If I had known it, I would’ve made you a cake or something, or I would’ve bought you a gift-“

“Stop, stop” he interrupted her, “Don’t get too excited, not a big deal. Just another day”.

“Daryl Dixon, it’s not just _another day”_ she said in a severe tone, “Birthdays are special dates, and you have to properly celebrate them. Besides, it’s not anyone’s birthday. It’s _your_ birthday”.

“My birthdays have never been pretty special days” Daryl replied. Beth glazed at him for an instant, lightly confused.

“Well” she started, “then I think it’s time to mend it”.

“What are you gonna do?” he asked, but she had already entered home. He didn’t get an answer, but she reappeared shortly after, hiding something behind her back.

“Close your eyes”.

“Beth, don’t-“

“Close them!” she insisted. Daryl huffed and obeyed, “Okay, open them”.

When he did, he found Beth squatting beside him in a minimal distance, holding something in front of him. When he looked down he saw a chocolate muffin with a little candle lit up in its center.

He smiled.

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Daryl, happy birthday to you” she crooned. She laughed softly before she moved the muffin closer to him, “C’mon, make a wish”.

“Really?” he said, incredulous. Beth nodded energetically.

“It’s your birthday, Daryl, and I’m not gonna let you waste your annual wish” she answered, “So think something and blow out the candles”.

“You’re somethin’ else” he huffed before he bent over the muffin.

“I know” she answered. Daryl straightened and blew out softly. The flame faded at the contact with his breath, “What did you ask for?”

“Will it come true if I tell you?” he mocked without malice.

“C’mon, tell me”.

“I will if it really comes true” Daryl declared. Beth seemed satisfied by that answered, because she nodded and offered him the muffin, which he ate contently. Beth stood up while he tasted his mini birthday cake and sat down in front of him again, “Beth”.

“Yes?”

“Thanks” he said it so fast that he doubted she had heard it. However, she smiled sweetly and shook her head.

“It’s nothing”.

But it really was. It was the first time that someone did something for him in his birthday. He didn’t tell her that, of course.

* * *

 

Next morning, Daryl woke up in Shawn’s old room. Hershel was sitting in the desk’s chair, looking at him. He sat up suddenly, startled.

“Mornin’, son” the man greeted him. Daryl got up to shake his hand, as usual.

“Hershel” Daryl answered.

“How are things going, Daryl?”

“Good” he lied, “And the clinic?”

“Busy”.

“Did you got late from work last night, sir?” Daryl remembered going to bed around midnight without any signs of Hershel. The old man nodded.

“We had a lotta work lately”.

“That’s good, isn’t it?” Hershel nodded again, but Daryl saw his deep puffiness. He looked a lot older.

“I guess it its” he sighed. They stayed silent until Hershel stood up and headed toward the door, “Beth’s making breakfast. Why don’t you go downstairs and have it with us? And you could help me with the truck later. You know I’m not an expert with these machines”.

“Sure” Daryl answered, and Hershel left. He sighed and fell into the bed again, “What the fuck you’re doing, Dixon?”

* * *

 

As the days went on Daryl appeared more often in the farm. It was almost as before Annette died, but he wasn’t going to see Maggie, but Beth. The girl was alone in her home most of the time, and when he went he found her doing the chores, or homework, or just playing piano or writing in her journal. Daryl used to spend the mornings looking for jobs or looking for temporary things which could help him earn enough money to afford his home, and since he didn’t have money to spend in gas, he had been walking almost a month. He had never minded walking, but not driving his bike was almost like losing a leg.

 

With all this walking, Daryl used to get to the farm starving around mid afternoon. Beth was always waiting for him, reading or writing. She’d lift her head from whatever thing she was doing and she’d smile, with such intensity that Daryl felt like blushing. He wasn’t used to be received with so much joy, not even when it was Annette who greeted him, but he said to himself over and over again that he was the only company she had. It was logical that she appreciated it, even if it was him.

 

He didn’t know where they found subjects to talk about, but they did. Somehow, Beth always managed to make him talk, tell her things, try to make him share things from his life with her. He tried to avoid all referring to his past, especially his brother, but some anecdotes –the softest ones, but not really appropriate yet- had been told under the weight of her sweet blue eyes.

 

The truth is Daryl enjoyed spending his time with Beth. Even though he tried to convince himself that it was because he was fond of her best friend’s little sister, or because he had to watch her so she couldn’t hurt herself anymore and because she was so young and alone (so _young_ , he had to repeat over and over again) he reached a point where he couldn’t fool himself anymore.

He liked being with Beth. He liked Beth in herself. She was still that little bird he remembered, covered in beautiful feathers, smiling despite everything she had to go through, going back to being herself and cheering up his days. Daryl didn’t remember a time when he had smiled so much. Beth started mocking him about how the muscles of his face could get hurt, but he didn’t mind. He was happy.

 

After they ate, Daryl would spend the rest of the day there. His place wasn’t really cozy, and Beth didn’t have to go elsewhere, so he did what he would normally do in his home while she did her homework or studied, and after that they sat together again, maybe outside if the weather was good, and they’d talked for another while until it was time for dinner. Sometimes, when Beth was feeling especially happy, she would sing for him.

 

Some nights Daryl stayed, but he mostly left when it was time to go to bed. Suddenly, it felt too weird for him to sleep under the same roof than Beth without anyone else around. It didn’t feel… _right._ As if he was somehow betraying Hershel’s trust. He knew that the man believed in him and in his “decency”, and therefore, it was his obligation as the adult one to leave.

But, why _leaving_?

 

They kept that routine for a few months until Daryl realized that someone strange was going on. He noticed how his gaze would linger too much time in her while she entered or exited a room, that he thought about her more than he would ever admit, that he cared about her in a more intense way than the familiar protectiveness. Beth swore him that she hadn’t cut herself again and Daryl had believed her, but he couldn’t help if his eyes wandered to her long-sleeved clothes which covered discretely her wrists. And he couldn’t avoid looking at her mouth too often either.

 

In one of those days, while they had dinner without more light than the one coming from a little lamp, Beth told him something about high school and her college applications, and how nervous she was about it.

“You’re gonna get picked, don’t even think about it” he assured her. And she smiled and nodded, trying to believe him, because Daryl trusted her, trusted in her abilities, “What do you wanna study?”

“Music” she answered immediately, “My dad wants me to study a ‘safer’ career, but I’m not gonna spend another four years studying something that doesn’t inspire me. I’m not always gonna do what he wants me to” she added quietly. Daryl looked at her, impressed.

“Well” he said, “and what does he think about her little girl rebelling?”

Beth laughed softly.

“You’re bringing that up again? I’m not a little girl anymore, Daryl. My dad needs to understand it. My siblings. _You_ ” she added sassily, “I have the right to take my own decisions”.

Daryl nodded, showing his conformity.

“Then you’ll nail it” he said. And she smiled again, blushing this time, something that she didn’t do since she was sixteen. And again doubt invaded Daryl. If it wasn’t something weird, if they were just friends, what was happening there? Why did it felt like that?

 

He saw Beth’s smile fading as the tension increased. And suddenly he couldn’t hear the wind hitting the windows or the insects outside, or nothing. Just their breathings, almost pants. Beth breathed as if she couldn’t get enough oxygen, while her cheeks turned scarlet.

Daryl thought his heart would get out of his chest. She was just a few inches away, with a fork still hanging in her hand, the other one approaching his slowly, her face reducing the distance that separated them, he feeling her warm breath nearer his face as her eyes were nearer his too, and the blue of her eyes was so intense, and her eyelashes seemed to be able to caress his face if she tried, and her tiny hand touched briefly his as she licked lightly her lips…

 

A rang of the phone was like a jar of cold water for both of them. They moved away brusquely as the tension faded. Daryl still felt his heart beating strongly. Regarding Beth, her sight was fixed in the tablecloth, and she was burning red and panting. She peeked at him for an instant, trying to check if he was looking at her. When she saw that he was, she blushed even more (if that was possible) and she stood up to pick up the phone. Daryl cleared his throat as he stood up and looked for his jacket. He had to get out of there, and fast.

 

He could hear Beth’s voice in the next room.

“Yes, everything’s alright… Daryl and I were ha-having dinner” she stuttered. Daryl sighed and rested his forehead against the wall, “Don’t worry. I hope so too. Love you. Bye”.

The click of the phone when she hung up drag him out of his lapse. He moved away from the wall, intending to get out of there, but he run into Beth while she tried to come back to the dining room. Their bodies crashed, and before Beth could stumble and fall, Daryl grabbed her by her forearm to avoid her ass hitting the floor. When he realized he was _touching_ her though, he let her limb go as if she was burning. Beth noticed it and looked at him, confused and a little bit hurt. Daryl looked away. He couldn’t stand those blue eyes piercing him.

“Well” he cleared his throat, “I should go. I gotta work tomorrow”.

“Wait” she stopped him. She walked towards a locker in the entry and took a set of keys, offering them to him, “Take the truck”.

“No, you need it to go to school”.

“I can take the bus. You can’t walk from here to the other end of the town”.

Daryl thought it was ironical that it was her who said that considering he was the adult one, but at the same time he was thinking about how near he had been to screw it up completely just five minutes ago and he decided that he wasn’t smart enough to call himself an adult. So he took the keys, murmured a tense “thanks” and got out of there so quickly that he left Beth more confused than she already was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and please comment!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter hasn't been edited yet. Jen's a human being and I so I am.  
> Enjoy!

The following days were like a whirlwind for Daryl. He avoided Beth as much as possible. He got a job as a mechanic in a repair shop, and having an hour to have lunch, soon their meals together stopped. He hadn’t seen her since that night, and despite he missed her, he kept himself far from the phone, knowing that he would call her. His days became strange without her.

 

A week after that fateful dinner he noticed, horrified, that he had to return her truck. He called Maggie to do it, but her friend refused to:

“Daryl, I have my exams next month, I haven’t gotten outta my room for two days ‘cause I have to study, and my house it’s not exactly near college. Why can’t you return it to her yourself?”

“I gotta work” he avoided her question.

“What are you, an exploited miner?” Maggie huffed, “I’m sure you’ll find the time to return her the truck. Listen, I have to keep studying, but as soon as I finish my exams, you and I have a few beers to take together”.

Daryl grinned. He definitely missed the oldest of the Greene sisters too.

“Go to study, bookworm” he teased her.

“Fuck off, redneck” she played along with a giggle. Daryl hung up and headed back to the repair shock, more tired than before.

What was he going to do now?

“Hey, Daryl, can you help me?” he heard his colleague Ted calling him. He turned as if he had just found the solution to all of his problems, “What?”

“You have to do me a favor”.

* * *

 

Two days later, Daryl was working, as usual, when his boss Joe opened the door of his office and walked to him enraged.

“Dixon, phone”.

“Who is it?” he asked, wiping his grass stained hands with a rag.

“What the fuck do I know? Do you think I’m your fucking secretary? I’m not gonna passing you calls! If you need to call someone use the fuckin’ payphone”.

Daryl was fed up with that asshole he had as a boss, but when he got paid every month he repeated to himself that his stupidity was bearable enough just for another month. And every single month that ritual was repeated. He would give an arm to quit the job but he knew he’d have to start dealing with drugs if he did so.

He dropped the rag and walked towards the tiny office.

“And hurry up” Joe grunted, before he turned to another new boy, “Eh, eh! What you think you’re doin’? You wanna finish the fucked up?”

Daryl ignored him and picked up.

“Who is it?”

“Daryl?” he went breathless for an instant. He separated the phone and looked at the receiver as if Beth could lift her hand and get in there.

“Yeah” he said after a few instants, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothin’” she answered shyly, “I just wanted to say hi”.

“How do you know this number?”

“I called the information number. It’s not that difficult”.

“Well, you called my boss, Beth. He’s not really happy”.

“Sorry” she apologized.

“Don’t matter”.

They stayed silent for a while that Daryl would’ve described as eternal, until Beth finally sighed.

“It was very brave from you, you know? Sending a strange to return me the truck”.

“I didn’t have the time to go myself” Daryl lied.

“I didn’t know you had such a busy life” Beth said coldly.

“Well, it’s not like you know all about me” he countered angrily. He sighed and massaged the bridge of his noise, expecting to hear something.

“Yeah, you’re right. I know nothing about you” she said finally, “I won’t bother you anymore. Bye”.

Daryl tried to answer, but she had already hung up. He looked at the telephone for a second before he hung up himself and went back to his bay. He had work to do.

* * *

 

Daryl appeared at the farm two weeks later at dinner time. He intended in taking her to have dinner somewhere and apologize. He had been acting like a childish asshole and she didn’t deserve that. He would apologize, they would make up and then he’d make sure to keep distance so she could keep being a distant friend and forget about that stupid night.

A part of him was surprised when he saw that Beth wasn’t waiting on him in the porch as usual. He had to remember himself that he hadn’t been there for almost a month and that she was mad.

He sighed, and mustering courage, he ringed the bell. He could hear the sound expanding across the walls of the house, absorbing the vibrations until those faded, but he didn’t hear anything else. He ringed again, without an answer. He looked through the window and saw that all the lights were on, but there was no one.

He ringed three and four times, all with the same result. He turned around to come back home when he heard the sound of a vehicle approaching in the distance.

 

Daryl narrowed his eyes to catch a glimpse of the car that headed toward the house in the dark. It wasn’t any of the Greene members, and if the fact that he didn’t recognize the car didn’t make him suspect, the fact that the music was sounding noisily was the confirmation.

The car reached its destination and parked, but the music didn’t stop and no one left the car. Daryl walked to the car, in where he saw two figures in the front seats. He soon recognized Beth’s hair, and her back, facing him, while she leaned over the driver.

 

He felt the rage invading him. He walked until he reached the car and hit the car window several times. Beth startled and turned around, her eyes widening when she saw him standing there. She turned again for a second to say something to that jerk, and then she opened the door with great effort. Daryl moved away so she could get out and watched her silently while the car left the farm.

“Daryl” she said, shocked, “what are you doin’ here?”

“The thing is what the fuck were you doin’” he grunted, enraged. Beth seemed to remember then that it was _her_ who was mad, because she frowned and without a word, started walking towards the porch, “I’m talking to you, Beth2.

“And I’m ignoring you” she countered. She took out of her purse her keys and started looking desperately for the right one. Daryl leaned on the door to avoid her opening it. Beth moved away and sighed, “Would you mind moving so I can come in?”

“Who was that?”

“Why do you mind?”

“I mind” he answered. Beth smoothed her frown for an instant, but then it returned with more strength.

“I don’t wanna talk right now. Please, leave” he said, and before he could answer, she had already closed the door so strongly that the glass of the windows shook threadingly.

Daryl clenched his fists trying to not hit the wall. _That fucker_ , he thought when he remembered Beth leaning against him. He swallowed hard, and he couldn’t help but kick one of the columns of the porch. He had to contain a whimper. Yes, he was an asshole and a now a pussy.

He got in his car and left the Greene farm without looking back.

 

Two weeks later, while he was in his way home, he was surprised to find the oldest of the Greene sisters sitting in the staircase of his building. He climbed off his bike as Maggie stood up with a smile.

“Well, look who’s back” he said. Maggie shrugged and lifted her arms, as if she said “so what?”

“I finished my exams before I thought. Basically, I didn’t go to the last one” she added when she saw his expression, “Hey, it’s not my fault”.

“Someone forced you to do so?”

“It’s just…” she licked her lips, hesitating, “I just forgot everything, Daryl. It was an oral exam in front of a tribunal. Five men looking at me while I stuttered and acted like an idiot. As soon as they called me I ran” she buried her face in her hands, “God, I’m so stupid”.

“You letting five dudes intimidate you?” he flicked his tongue and shook his head, as if he was really disappointed, “I wouldn’t have expected that from you, Greene”.

Maggie smacked him in the shoulder.

“That exam was important, Daryl. Fuck, I really screwed it up this time. Now I have to renounce to finish college in less than ten years. My god, what am I gonna do? I’m so embarrassed”.

“Mags, _calm down_ ” Daryl said.

“Never tell a woman to calm down, Dixon, it’s obvious!” Maggie shouted, exasperated. She sighed and closed her eyes, “Sorry. I just fought with Glenn and… I’m just a mess, it’s all”.

“I have an idea: let’s go to the bar, like in the old times” Daryl suggested. The truth is he needed to drown his problems in alcohol too. A blonde-haired, blue-eyed problem related to the girl with whom he intended to get drunk. But Maggie shook her head.

“I was picking you up. There’s “familiar dinner” he raised an eyebrow.

“No”.

“Yes” she huffed, “Shawn came with his fiancée and my dad decided that it was the perfect opportunity to meet her. And Glenn won’t talk to me, and Beth’s sad, and I-“

“Beth’s what?” he interrupted her.

“Yeah. I got last night from the residence and she didn’t even come out of her room to say hello. She was acting weird. She wasn’t like that, not even after Annette died. You really didn’t notice?”

Daryl felt a pang of culpability when he realized that he had been avoiding her all these last weeks, and now she was in the same point than when they started talking. Daryl couldn’t stop feeling like a jerk when it came to Beth.

“No” he said, trying to switch the subject, “And what happened with Glenn? Wasn’t him ‘the one’ or somethin’?”

And in the way to the farm, Maggie filled the silence with her endless story about something that Daryl didn’t even understand. He was too absorbed by his own thoughts, and even though he had missed his friend, he had forgotten how much she could get to talk.

 

The farm was fuller than usual. While they approached it, Daryl could see more clearly the silhouettes of people going in front of the windows. Julie, Shawn’s fiancée, turned out to be as talkative as Maggie, so they became friends quickly. Daryl started talking with Hershel and Shawn about the old truck that wouldn’t stop giving trouble as he tried to look for Beth discretely.

“My daughter’s just finishing the dinner” the old man said, as if he could read his mind. Daryl turned his head brusquely to face him and nodded, trying to feign that he hadn’t been searching her the whole night.

 

When he saw her under the kitchen’s doorframe he thought he wouldn’t be able. He wouldn’t be able to look at her and pretend he was dying to talk to her, that he would stand up to ask her if she was okay, but somehow he managed to stay in his seat, grabbing the tablecloth until his knuckles turned white.

 

Beth seemed as normal as usual, maybe even lighter. He was surprised by what Maggie had told him: he felt like she was perfectly fine. She started serving everyone, and when his turn came, he expected some look, a signal that she had acknowledged his presence, _anything_. But instead he received an empty look and a plate full of food.

“Thanks” he muttered. Beth nodded curtly and kept with her dad and Julie. Once they were all sitting, Daryl realized that Beth was in the seat that Annette used to fill, beside her dad… and him.

Hershel said the same graces that Daryl had heard this last two years, while he felt that Beth just held his hand with pure coldness. His stomach clenched.

 

When they finished the dinner, Maggie and he went to the porch to talk. In fact, it was a whole hour of her talking about college, Glenn and the repetition of the question “You okay?”. Daryl always nodded and she smiled contently before she kept talking.

“Daryl, I’m serious, you okay?” she asked again.

“Hm-mm” he answered. Maggie frowned.

“No, there’s something wrong with you. You’ve been mute this whole night”.

“I didn’t want to interrupt you” he lied.

“Sure. C’mon, tell me, what’s wrong? It’s that asshole that you have as a boss? We can burn his car if you want” she joked. Daryl tried to smile, but he just shook his head.

“’M tired, ‘s all”

“Maggie, Daryl!” Hershel called them out from the inside, “We’re gonna have a cup of coffee. Do you want one?”

“Yes, in a minute! Maggie shouted in answer, “Hey, let’s go. Caffeine it’s not a so bad substitute of alcohol”.

“I don’t wanna coffee” he grunted, “Go, I stay”.

“Okay, Mr. Grumpy” Maggie grinned, “I’ll be back”.

Maggie entered the house and Daryl stayed there, alone. He took out his pack of cigarettes and lit up one, letting the nicotine relax him a bit.

 

He had been there for a couple minutes when he heard a strange noise, something alike to a whimper, and then a knock that broke the silence. Daryl dropped his cigarette immediately and started walking, missing his crossbow as he approached the source of the noise.

“Beth!” he exclaimed when he found the girl on all fours in the dirt, trying to get up. She didn’t seem to be succeeding, because she stumbled, and if it wasn’t because Daryl helped her, she would have ended up in the dirt again. When she could balance again, she moved away from Daryl as if she didn’t want him touching her. Daryl feigned that that didn’t hurt him in his tiny self-love, “What the fuck you’re doing?”

“None of your business!” she grunted, dusting off her knees, “Shit, I’m bleeding”.

“Beth!” he half shouted, exasperated, “I asked what the fuck were you doin’. You tried to kill yourself or something? You could have gotten hurt!”

“What I do it’s not your business!” she repeated, raising her voice.

“I would be careful now, ‘cause maybe your daddy could hear you” he grunted. Beth shut up immediately, but her expression remained the same, “Now, are you gonna tell me what were you planning to do?”

Beth looked away.

“I’m gonna meet a friend” she raised her sight an instant, and then Daryl realized she was wearing make-up. Actually, it seemed like she had dressed up. She was wearing a black romper with silvery sandals. Her hair was down, falling over her shoulder in soft waves, and her lips had a soft pink lipstick. The eyeliner made the blue of her eyes more intense, which were burning with rage in those instants. Daryl had to pretend that he hadn’t realize how beautiful she looked and feign that he was angrier than impressed.

“A friend? The one who lifted you home the other day?” he huffed.

“But why on Earth do you care, Daryl? It’s my life!”

“You know what’s time it is? Are you gonna go out? Is your friend gonna look for you and then lift you home or he’s gonna left you somewhere?”

“You’re not my dad, and you don’t know him. He’s a good guy”.

“Yeah, he’s wonderful” he countered bitterly.

“Screw you, I don’t opine about everything you do. Let me do whatever I want”

“You’re eighteen, you have no idea” he dismissed her with a gesture of his hand.

“Sure, ‘cause I’m the childish one, right? I’m the one being immature here! It was me who ran away when things started gettin’ weird, it was me who avoided you for weeks to not have to face whatever the hell was going on, it was me who sent someone else to do something because I didn’t want to run into you, and it was me who expected you to-!” she shut up and bit her lip, her eyes flooding with tears. Daryl wanted to carve a hole in the floor and bury his head. He felt the blood running from his neck to his cheeks. He couldn’t answer her if she kept looking at him like that, “Say something already”.

“Beth…” he massaged the bridge of his nose, sighing, “You know things can’t be like that. You’re Hershel’s daughter, and Maggie’s little sister, but that-“

“Oh, c’mon” Beth huffed, about-turning, “I can’t believe you’re saying that. So I’m just you’re friend’s little sister? I haven’t been your friend myself? Haven’t we spent weeks together, talking, knowing each other? Or it was because you felt pity for me? Were you scared that I would finish what I didn’t carry out that day in the bathroom?”

Daryl closed his eyes, trying to forget that painful memory. He remembered perfectly how was her wrist, now discretely covered by tinkling bracelets.

“You’re my friend, Beth” he admitted as calmly as possible, “but nothing else. You’re still a kid”.

Beth went still, her back facing him, with her sight fixed in the wall. Daryl didn’t realize she was crying until he saw her shoulders shaking lightly. He felt uncomfortable. He’d never been any good at consoling people, but he knew she needed it. He approached her and put his head on her shoulder.

“Hey, Beth” he said softly, scared of screwing it up, “hey, look at me”.

But she didn’t move. And suddenly, she turned around and slapped him as strongly as she could. Daryl was so surprised by the strength of her tiny hand that he needed time to process that two seconds later, Beth’s lips were sealing his. He stumbled lightly, trying to balance himself, but when he got to do that Beth was already away from him and he couldn’t say a word.

 

And he looked at her in a completely new way. Her knees were scrapped, her clothes were stained with dirt, she was disheveled by the fall and the tip of her nose was just as red as her eyes, which were shedding little tears. Her make-up was starting to become a mess, but her lips were still pinkish. God, he needed to kiss her again.

“I’m not a kid” she said simply before she walked by him. He hadn’t realized that while she was messing with him, that asshole’s car had arrived. Beth walked towards it worthily and got in the car without looking back.

Daryl watched the car as it disappeared, and then he heard the door of the house opening.

“Hey, Daryl, where are you? My sister’s hysterical” Shawn called him out. The hunter blinked a couple times before he turned and started heading towards the house, “Dude, you alright? Your face’s burning red”.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and please comment!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has not been edited yet. Please ignore every possible mistake.  
> Enjoy!

The days following that night were a nightmare to Daryl. He spent his days going from work to home and from home to work. Being at work was a relief, even though he would’ve never thought that in normal conditions: he just had to focus on one task and that was it. However, when he got home, Beth’s image appeared again. He had to resist the temptation to climb on his bike and drive to the farm to see her again, though his urges weren’t so big when he thought how embarrassing would it be if she rejected him ( _when_ she rejected him), when she moved away like the other night, as if she was repulsed by the idea of him touching her.

 

He thought that hanging out with Maggie would make his day a little, but the truth is it turned out to be even more stressing. He felt like he was betraying his friend, so every second sitting next to her was like lying to her a little bit more. Besides, Maggie had received a surprise visit from Glenn and she was presenting him to everyone and enjoying their few free days together before she had to get back to college to keep staying in her room for days consuming toxic amounts of caffeine. Daryl couldn’t feel more relieved for having an excuse to not have to hang out with her.

 

So he went to the repair shop, he worked, he had lunch in a rush, he came back to work as soon as possible, he went home as late as he could, and when he got there, he felt an emptiness inside him. He missed the farm, warm and full of familiar faces. Well, what it used to be Greene’s farm. In fact, he missed Beth, but that was something that he wasn’t going to admit, not even to himself.

 

He’d go to the couch with a pack of beers, turn on the TV and drink until he felt his eyelids too heavy, and then, or either he fell asleep in front of the screen with a can of beer in his hand that would fall and spill all over the floor, or he’d have enough energy to drag himself to bed and fall like a dead weight that would sleep until the damn alarm would call him the next morning.

That hell of a week ended the Friday that Maggie informed him that she was going back to college. He accepted reluctantly to see her, and they met in a café near the farm in where he met Glenn, a Korean boy who seemed nice, and most important, in love with her friend. Daryl couldn’t be more satisfied with Maggie’s election. That didn’t make him want to spend more time with the lovebirds. He made up an excuse to leave –one that they accepted willingly since they were more interested in exploring their mouths that in talking to Daryl- and he got out of there quickly, making his bike roar and breaking the silence of the town.

He had just come home when he heard the phone ringing from the inside. He was surprised: he only received calls from Maggie and his boss, the latter when he wanted to prove how far he would deal with his stupidity.

He picked up already angry, willing to tell that asshole what he thought of him and let him know that he wasn’t going to keep playing along just to earn shit.

“What?” he answered it bitterly.

“Daryl” he heard a mutter. He blinked, confused, when he recognized the voice, “Daryl, you’re still there?”

“Beth?” he asked, shocked.

“I need you to make me a favor” her voice sounded like she was constipated. He could hear something that sounded like teeth chattering, “But you can’t tell anyone”.

“What’s wrong, Beth?” all Daryl wanted to do was to hang up and go to look for her, but he didn’t know anything, “Where are you?”

“In a bar called O’Connell. It’s downtown. Maybe you know it” she murmured.

“What the fuck you’re doing there, Beth?” of course he knew it. Maggie had dragged him there one night, believing a classmate who assured her that they served the best beer in the whole Georgia, but they had had to leave because there was such fight that cops arrived and the tear gas started flooding the room. It wasn’t a really nice place.

“I was with Jake, but we argued and he left and I don’t know what to do…” her voice cracked, “Would you mind picking me up?”

“Don’t move from where you are, and if someone talks to you, you ignore them” he told her before he hung up brusquely. He took his jacket and put in on while he looked frantically for his keys. He wanted to punch himself when he realized that he had been carrying them all this time.

_Calm down_ , he said to himself.

 

He climbed on his bike and drove at a much higher speed than it was allowed. He would have arrived in just twenty minutes if he had followed the traffic laws, but he couldn’t leave her there by herself for so long. It didn’t take much to find her: she stood out between those bikers who wouldn’t stop leering at her. She was there, near the road, trying to find him in the traffic, away from them. She was hugging herself to keep her body warm, but it was obvious that she was freezing. It wasn’t weird: he was feeling goose bumps just for the air and he was wearing a leather jacket. She must be near hypothermia, wearing that short-sleeved blouse with no jacket.

 

He was about to park in the entry when he saw one of the bikers approach her. He was robust and daunting, and he put himself too damn near Beth, invading her personal space and laughing repulsively. He said something to her and she moved away, shaking her head, and when he tried to grab her by her waist, she frowned and pushed him away.

“You little bitch…!” the man exclaimed, lifting his fist. Beth raised her knee and without thinking twice, she kicked him with all her strength in his weakest point. He fell to his knees, holding that delicate part of him with both hands while he gasped, trying to breath. Daryl couldn’t help feeling a pang of pride seeing that she didn’t need anyone protecting her.

Unfortunately, that pang faded when the rest of the bikers walked towards her.

“Beth!” he exclaimed, “C’mon, hop on!”

Beth turned and started running, climbing on as Daryl started the bike, just when one of them raised both arms to grab her, but he just got to touch briefly a strand of hair before they disappeared into the night.

 

They stopped at a gas station near Beth’s house. She got off the bike as Daryl went to the shop to pay fuel. He stopped at midway to watch her: God, that blouse was too thin to protect her from the wind. Ignoring the shivers that extended through his body, he took of his jacket and offered it to her. She shook her head.

“I’m okay” she lied.

“Take it” he insisted with a tone that admitted no response. She hesitated for a few instants though, but she finally took it and put in on quickly, huddling inside the garment. Daryl looked at her for an instant before he resumed his way to the shop. He paid and poured the gas without saying a single word. He was too mad and he was trying to not explode.

“Daryl…” she started, but he raised a hand to stop her, “I’m sorry”.

“No” he cut her rudely, “I don’t wanna hear that”.

“Jake’s a dumbass, I know, but-“

“You’re who has acted like an idiot!” he bursted. Beth took a step back, shocked by the sudden shout, “What did you think was gonna happen if you went out with a dude like that, Beth? I told ya to be careful! You want people to stop treating you like a kid, huh? Then stop acting like one!” he yelped. But Beth wasn’t going to stand there as if nothing, of course not. Had Daryl forgotten that he was dealing with a Greene girl? She moved until she was right in front of him, almost standing on her toes, and frowned.

“And what right do you have to worry about me now, Daryl? After you left me alone! My mom died and I had to ‘get over it’. My siblings ignored me and my dad decided his work was more important than me. I was alone! I _am_ alone, Daryl! And then you arrived, and finally I had a reason to get up every morning, ‘cause I knew you’d come later and I wouldn’t be alone anymore!”

“That was it?” Daryl felt suddenly enraged, “You were alone, so you held onto me ‘cause I was the only one available!”

Beth went still, totally confused.

“That’s what you think?”

“That’s what I know”.

Her confusion turned into fury again.

“No, you don’t know it. You just don’t get it! Do you think that I wouldn’t have hanged out with my friends instead? If I spent time with you was because I _wanted_ to. And now things are weird between us and it’s crap, ‘cause it’s like you’re afraid to be alone with me”, she added, lowering her voice as she neared the end of the sentence. She raised her eyes and looked at him, with such expression of vulnerability that Daryl had the impulse to take a step forward and hug her, but he contained himself, “My whole family has left me… them, or anyone I’d ever cared about… and now you too!”

She pushed him lightly, as if all of her strength had faded away. She stayed there, near him, with her forehead leaning on his chest, crying silently while she grabbed his shirt. And he let her, because he wasn’t really sure of what to do now. He decided to grab her lightly so she would know that he was there.

“Don’t” she muttered once her sobs stopped.

“Don’t what?” Daryl asked.

“Don’t let me. Don’t stop being my friend. Daryl, please…” she begged him, lifting her head. A part of him, the sensible, rational one, was screaming that he had to tell her no, that he had to go back to how things were before: a string of awkward greeting where they met and maybe, some short chats when they had to be alone. But another part of him, the crazy, irrational one, suggested him with a very tempting voice that he should let her. That pushing her away would be a mistake, that he would hurt her again…

 

He knew that he would say her yes even before his internal struggle had ended. He knew it because when she looked at him again with those eyes full of pureness, looking for _him,_ he was totally conscious that he would never be able to say her no to anything. Fuck, he’d jump off a cliff if she asked him to do so.

 

He let his own arms to surround her slowly, until she was leaning firmly against him. She turned her head and rested a cheek in his chest.

They stayed like that, in completely silence, as vehicles passed by them in front of that station gas in the middle of nowhere.

“Daryl…” she finally said, “my dad would kill me if he knew I’ve gone there. Maggie would kill me for him if she learnt about tonight”.

“I’m not so stupid to tell them” he answered. He felt her body relax, until she moved away, facing him again with both of her hands grabbing a side of him. She smiled sweetly, and he returned her the smile.

“Thanks” she muttered.

“Anytime, Greene” he offered her a red cloth that he always had in his back pocket, “There, wipe your face. You look like a raccoon”.

She smacked him softly in the shoulder, but laughed nevertheless. Then she realized that she was messing her make-up even more and when they looked at each other again, they started laughing louder before she threw herself against his chest again.

 

The workers of that gas station had something to talk about for the rest of their shift.

“They’re crazy” one of them said, shaking his head.

“For each other” his colleague answered, smiling, before he huffed by the cheesy comment of the woman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and please comment!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has not been edited yet. Please ignore any possible mistakes!  
> Enjoy!

Fall went by almost unnoticed in Georgia. Beth and Daryl kept seeing each other with the same frequency as before, which was practically every day. Daryl had quit his job and he was broke again, but to his surprise, Beth had the solution.

“My friend’s uncle works in a motorcycle repair shop. You’re good at those things, right?” Daryl grunted something in answer, “C’mon, don’t be like that. You’re good at it. _I know._ I’m sure I can ask her as a favor”.

“Don’t need your charity Beth” he said, in a harsher tone that he intended, but Beth seemed to take no offense.

“It’s _not_ charity. We’re friends, aren’t we? Friends help each other when they need it” she said, and the matter seemed to be settled.

Once he got the job, Daryl learnt that he had almost an hour and a half to lunch. He had plenty of time to go to Beth’s high school and pick her up. Meanwhile, she was more and more stressed every day.

“I’m terrified, Daryl, I’m so scared” she said once.

“You’re gonna make it”.

“What if I don’t? What am I gonna do then?”

“You can try Veterinary”.

“Sure, as my dad and my sister” she huffed, crossing her arms, “I’d prefer to throw myself off a bridge”.

“Don’t say it out loud, you never know”.

“How funny” she answered, but she was smiling, “Daddy and I… we had never had this conversation. He wants me to consider Medicine or Veterinary if I can’t do Music, but I’ve already told him that I’m not gonna do that at all. He can’t keep treating me like a child forever” she grumbled adorably, sinking herself into the seat even more. When she noticed Daryl was staring at her, she frowned, “What?”

“You’re just like your damn sister” he laughed. Beth eyes’ widened and then she giggled.

“Me? Just like Maggie?”

“Yeah” he assured her, “you two have the same Greene temper. Like your dad”.

“Do yourself a favor and never tell Maggie that. She’ll kill you” she said, squirming with laughter until Daryl ended up chuckling softly with her for no reason in their way to the farm.

 

Shortly before Christmas Eve, Daryl and Beth met to go to some café in the downtown. Beth wanted to see the Christmas lights and he didn’t mind going with her. Actually, he was really amused by how her eyes would light up as she contemplated that burst of color in front of them. It was like she was five again. She grabbed his hand and dragged him everywhere while she pointed at every little thing with amazed expression.

“C’mon, Greene, every year it’s the same” he teased her. Beth put an indignant expression in her face and raised her chin.

“You have no Christmas spirit, Daryl Dixon”.

And then he raised his eyebrows, not wanting to keep that argument, afraid that she would really be upset by his lack of enthusiasm about Christmas and drop his hand.

 

But luckily that never happened, and she kept dragging him everywhere, until they finally got to the café and he made her get in so they could get something that would warm their freezing lips. He grunted something again about how absurd it was to go to see something that was the same every year and she ignored him, knowing that it was the cold which made him moody, and then she took his hands as if nothing and exhaled her breath over them to warm them up.

Daryl went still, trying not to blush as a damn twelve year old, and she smiled when she realized that he couldn’t help it, as if that was something normal. Because for her, he thought, he was just Daryl, the awkward man who got uncomfortable by touch.

“Hi!” a pink-haired girl appeared from nowhere, offering them flyers with the photo of a spa in them, “We have every kind of beauty treatments in a very moderate price. There’s a discount for couples, so if you’re interested-“

“Oh, no, we’re not…” Beth laughed, knowing that she was the flushed one that time. The girl looked confused as she glazed at Beth, who was still holding Daryl’s hands, “We’re just friends”.

“Oh, excuse me. Anyway, you can also think about it as a gift” she smiled and kept leafleting. Beth and Daryl looked at each other uncomfortably for a few seconds before she dropped his hands, grabbing her coffee mug instead.

“So…” Daryl cleared his throat, “Maggie brings Glenn these holidays”.

“Yeah” she answered, smiling, “This is her most enduring boyfriend. Do you think they’ll get married?”

“Don’t think so” he replied immediately. He couldn’t bring himself to imagine Maggie with the typical white dress in a perfect wedding in a church. He knew her pretty well, and she definitely wasn’t the kind of girl to dream with the day of her wedding.

“Okay, maybe not a fancy wedding” she reflected, as if she could read his mind, “but deep inside, I’m sure she’s a romantic. All girls want someone to tell us that we’re pretty today, to hold our hand, to share things with us. Even if some say otherwise” she simply commented before she brought the mug to her lips. Daryl glazed at her, confused. If that wasn’t an indirect then he was blind.

“Anyway, she still has to finish college” he changed the subject, “For when she graduates they may not even be together”.

“No, I guess not” Beth sighed, resting her head against the window, “But it would be a pity: Glenn’s one of the few men able to ask something like that to a woman”.

Daryl was completely sure that he wasn’t misunderstanding what it was clearly an indirect. He looked at her, trying to decipher her expression, but her face was as always. She returned him the glaze, as if she was challenging him to do something.

“I’ve finished my coffee. Shall we get outta here?” she said suddenly.

Daryl nodded and allowed that hurricane called Beth Greene to drag him again. They walked for a while to dusk, and then he lifted her home.

 

He felt something different in Beth that once. She took more than usual in unbuckling her belt, taking her purse, checking her cell (twice) and asking him endless questions. Daryl wasn’t dumb: he knew she was practically shouting at him to not let her go that easily. And as soon as she stepped from the truck, he took a decision.

“Well… good night, Daryl” she said, looking away.

“Night” he muttered. Beth started walking and looked back one more time, but since Daryl had his sight fixed in the steering wheel, she just nodded and kept walking. He took his time to muster his courage, but finally, as she looked for the right key, he got out of the vehicle, provoking that Beth turned around, surprised, as he walked past the truck to reach the first rung of the porch.

“You have plans for tomorrow?”

Beth seemed confused for a moment, but then she shook her head.

“Do you wanna have dinner?”

It was like Christmas was celebrating in Beth’s face: her eyes were the first ones to light up, just like two candles; then her cheeks, and finally her smile, which was like the star of the tree to Daryl.

“Sure” she replied really quietly, with her cheeks so blushed that Daryl thought she might faint from the lack of blood in the rest of her body. He inhaled deeply before he said the next thing.

“’S a date” he added before he turned around and headed towards the truck. He grinned lightly as he thought how Beth’s face would be right then. He had to make a great effort to not turn around until he got to the vehicle. Once he did, he looked at her: she was still standing in the porch, with her keys in one hand and the other one grabbing fiercely her scarf. The blinding smile was still there.

Daryl started the truck and got out of there, careful to not crash against a tree as he did so.

 

Beth remained in the porch as she watched Daryl leaving. She turned on her heels and bit her lip so fiercely that she could’ve bled. And then she laughed. First lightly, and then a hysterical laugh. For a moment she thought she could explode of happiness, snap like bottle corks of champagne’s bottles.

* * *

 

It wasn’t until he got home that he realized that he hadn’t told her a hour to pick her up. He thought about calling her, but a very immature doubt assaulted him: what if she thought he was desperate? He had just seen her; he’d called her the next day.

He looked away when he passed by the phone.

 

The next day went by exasperatedly slowly. He got up as usual to go to work until Duck, his new boss, sent him straight home.

“Tomorrow’s Christmas Eve, Dixon, you think I’m gonna make you work?” and never in his life had Daryl ever missed so much his old exploiting boss.

So he spent the rest of his day wandering from one place to another. He made the purchase –he couldn’t help imagining Merle’s laughs when he had to choose a detergent- and then he washed his truck, regaining some of his lost masculinity, had lunch, and right after that he went home to call Beth.

He felt like a teenager when his heart sped up as someone picked up.

“Hello?” his stomach clenched as he heard Hershel’s voice. He had hoped that he would keep the clinic opened in Christmas, “Who is it?”

“Eh, yeah” he stuttered, “it’s me”.

“Oh, hi Daryl!” he greeted him, “How are you?”

“I’m good”.

“You coming tomorrow, aren’t you? Shawn’s bringing Julie and Maggie’s bringing Glenn. Beth says she’ll make something special”.

“Sure, sure” he felt as if he had just met him for the first time, shy and insecure about everything.

“Well, what did you want?”

The words died in his throat. He didn’t know what to do. Saying “I asked Beth out” didn’t seem really valid.

“Is Beth there?” he said simply. A brief silent appeared.

“Yeah, she’s right here, hold on” Hershel finally answered, “She’s coming. I’m glad to hear from you, Daryl. See you tomorrow”.

“See you tomorrow” he answered quickly, feeling his shoulders relaxing of pure relief. A few seconds later, Beth’s voice surprised him.

“Hi” she greeted him softly.

“Hi” he answered. Neither of them said anything for half a minute. If he wasn’t acting like a fourteen year old kid, he was just being a dumbass, “I forgot to tell you what time I’m picking you. About… eight?”

“Eight? Yeah, sure” she said.

“Good” Daryl answered.

“Good” repeated Beth. They didn’t want to hang up, but it was like they had nothing to say anymore, which was weird considering Beth was participating in the conversation, “See you tonight, then”.

“Yeah”.

“And Daryl” she added quickly.

“I’m really looking forward to it” Beth said in a rush before she hung up. Daryl went still before he huffed. She was definitely something else.

 

At three to eight Daryl parked his truck in front of Greene’s farm as many times before only that that time he was there for a completely different reason. He swallowed hard and walked towards the entry. He wondered what he should say to Hershel. Or to Maggie. He didn’t even know when his friend was going to get to the farm. What if it was Shawn who opened the door? Daryl had never thought about himself as scrawny, but he really didn’t want to fight with Beth’s stepbrother.

 

_You’re just friends_ , he reminded himself suddenly. It was true though. Why would someone see something weird about two friends having dinner together? Hadn’t he done that a thousand times before without any insinuations beyond the hopeful smiles of Annette and Hershel? With that calming thought, he ringed. Shortly after, some short steps indicated him that it wasn’t Hershel who was going to open the door. To Daryl, that was the biggest strike of luck.

The door opened with a creek, and then Beth appeared under the doorframe, smiling as if they were going to Disneyland.

“Hello!” she greeted him cheerfully, “How punctual”.

Daryl nodded uncomfortably.

“Well, shall we get going?” her smile widened when he nodded again, “’Kay”.

Beth stepped back to take her purse, and when she got out, Daryl felt breathless. They didn’t say anything as they got in the car and it started, and when they were out of Greene’s lands, Beth turned her head, raising her eyebrows.

“Daryl”.

“Mm?”

“You can breathe” she giggled. Daryl couldn’t help blushing, embarrassed, but he relaxed visibly, “Okay, how was your day?”

* * *

 

The rest of the date was like living something usual and at the same time completely different. Beth interlaced their hands at some point for no reason and Daryl mustered enough courage to cover her and caress her knuckles with his thumb softly. Beth smiled, surprised and also happy because he was daring to do something else.

 

That night, when the clock was marking half past eleven, Daryl parked the truck again in front of the Greene’s farm and walked her to the porch. It was like living the teenage years he never had fifteen years later. She looked at him, fidgeting with her keys, not wanting to leave, until he finally stepped forward and stole her –if you can call steal something that the other person is sighing to be taken from them- a chaste peck in her lips that longed no more than a second, enough to make Beth blush, as if she hadn’t kissed him with a lot more intensity just after she had slapped him. It was something that confused him sometimes, how she could pass from being his little bird, all shy and sweet to turn into a flaming phoenix that could make everything burn. She whispered a “good night” and got into her house, leaving Daryl standing in her porch.

 

Their second date was a day after Christmas, when everyone was too tired to ask anything, and they just went to a bar (not a much recommendable one though) in where the bartender served her beer for a little tip. It was her first time drinking beer –actually, any kind of alcohol- and just approaching it made her sneeze in a way that Daryl found adorable. She looked at him, frowning all offended.

“What are you laughing at?” she asked, taking a big sip and trying to contain the expression of disgust as Daryl tried to hide the grin that was about to turn into laughter. Beth wiped her lips with the back of her hand and took a smaller sip, “It’s not that bad”.

And that night, when Daryl turned off the truck engine, she didn’t get out immediately. He gave her a little wrapped box and looked away shyly as she unwrapped it very carefully. Her eyes widened and her mouth turned into a “o” before she smiled.

“It’s beautiful, Daryl” she whispered, lifting the silver bracelet. She turned it between her fingers as she looked at the figures on it: a treble clef, a quaver and a double eighth.

“’S nothing” he grunted without looking at her.

“Yes it is. I love it” her smile widened even more. Finally, he raised his head. She was watching him with that soft smile, raising her hand to caress his cheek softly. It was the most intimate contact they had shared to the date, a lot more intimate than the shy kisses he had given her. He put his hand over hers, and being unable to contain it, his lips sealed hers softly. He didn’t limit it to a light kiss though. She opened her mouth and the instant the tip of his tongue touched her lips, his heart could have snapped out of his chest easily. It was totally like he was fifteen again. Daryl felt almost floating: he moved in his seat to move her closer, until she was practically sitting on his lap. She linked her hands behind his neck as they deepened the kiss and he let her hands wander down his back softly. He heard her sigh when they finally broke the kiss. She was shining.

“Best Christmas gift ever” she whispered before she laughed. Daryl smiled and hugged her, trying to separate her from the uncomfortable steering wheel. They stayed like that for a few minutes, with her head resting on his shoulder as he leaned his cheek against the crown of her head.

 

It was then when he saw that they’d been like that for almost an hour.

“Fuck, Beth, it’s late” he muttered. Beth said something, but she didn’t move a muscle, “You should get in”.

“I’m good here” she grumbled happily, moving her head away to look at him in the eye, “I don’t wanna leave yet”.

“Your sister’s gonna kill you”.

“She’s out with Glenn”.

“Your dad then” he countered weakly, not really wanting her to leave.

Beth stared at him for a few seconds before she sighed resignedly and moved from Daryl’s lap. She was still holding the bracelet.

“Good night” she murmured, and leaned over him to get a last goodbye kiss. It was as chaste as the previous ones, and it was then when Daryl realized something else: he wouldn’t be able to conform with those innocent lips brushes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and please comment!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has not been edited yet. It's two in the morning here and I just finished translating, so please, ignore every possible mistakes.  
> Enjoy!

New Year’s Day arrived just as a brutal hangover arrived at Daryl. It had been a while since he had got drunk, but Maggie had somehow convinced him: “just a few drinks”, she had assured him. And he had believed her, sure. “Why not?” he thought. And those few drinks had turned into a beer, and then it turned to tequila shots. Daryl couldn’t remember anything after that. The rest was lights and sounds mixing in his head, dots impossible to connect.

 

He opened his eyes slowly, as if they weighed tons, and he rolled to his side to check the time. It was almost noon.

“Fuck!” he swore as he stood up in a rush. It wasn’t until he was under the spray of the shower that he noticed he hadn’t got undressed. He put off his soaked pants and boxers and threw them to the floor, convincing himself that he would tidy up when he come back. He was supposed to meet Beth for lunch and he didn’t want to show her his hangover side just yet.

 

So he tried to look presentable, or at least alive, and he got dressed as quickly as possible before he climbed on the Triumph and rode towards Greene’s farm.

“Daryl?” What are you doin’ here?” Daryl was still so abducted in his drunken haze that he hadn’t considered the fact that Maggie would be at home. He froze under the doorframe, watching as her friend rubbed her eyes, still sleepy.

“Eh… I-“

“Daryl? I didn’t think you could come!” he heard Beth approaching them, “We’re leaving, right?”

Daryl nodded, not knowing what else to say. Maggie turned as her little sister took her purse and walked by her to get to him.

“Someone’s gonna explain what’s going on here? Where are you goin’, Beth?”

“We’re gonna have lunch” she explained nonchalant.

“Together” Maggie said incredulously.

“Together” Beth repeated, talking like she was explaining something to a little kid.

“But-“

“I’ll be back soon, I promise” she gave her sister a quick kiss in the cheek and dragged Daryl away from Maggie before she could start with her interrogatory. Once they were at a prudential distance, Beth leaned against him and surrounded him with her little arms as much as possible, burying her face happily in his chest, “Happy new year, by the way”.

Daryl kissed her on her hair.

“Happy new year. It got bad after we left?”

Beth huffed against his shirt.

“You can’t imagine. Daddy and Shawn didn’t stop talking between them and I’ve discovered I hate Julie. I don’t think I can attend her wedding” she laughed, “You were lucky at leaving”.

“I guess so” he shrugged. Beth raised her eyebrow curiously.

“What did you two do last night?”

“Drink” he answered sincerely, “We drank until we couldn’t remember our names”.

“Sounds like fun” Beth commented, “I’m starving, where we going?”

 

They went to a familiar restaurant, one of the few existents in town. Daryl couldn’t get used to the fact that everyone knew each other there, but Beth seemed pretty comfortable. She was walking down the street and greeting everyone warmly. Most people already knew that Daryl was close to the Greene’s family, but that didn’t keep more than one terrified look from some faces. Daryl knew he wouldn’t ever adapt to such a small town, but he wouldn’t stop going there. He didn’t fit, and at the same time he did. Habits, he guessed.

 

They ate in a pretty lonely restaurant since there was barely anyone. Most people were having a familiar lunch today. It was practically a rule. Daryl knew it, and people from town did too. That’s why waiters looked astonished at Beth. She was the good girl, what was she doing there? They couldn’t even dissimulate the fact that they were gossiping about her. Daryl was pissed off, but if Beth realized that she was the main subject of the day, she didn’t acknowledge it.

“Doesn’t it bother you?” he finally asked her. Beth wiped her mouth delicately with her napkin and looked at him calmly before she shook her head, “I don’t know what the fuck they’re talking about”.

“About anything. It’s new year’s day, it’s a small town and people get bored. It’s okay, Daryl. Relax” she reassured him. Daryl grumbled a little bit more before he resumed eating. Just a dirty look from him was enough to silence the waiters. Beth couldn’t hide how amusing she found that.

 

It wasn’t until mid afternoon that he took her home. Beth had to study for a test, and Daryl needed to go to bed to hibernate. He took her until the entry of her house, as usual, but this time he refused to give her a goodbye kiss as always. He was afraid that some Greene could see them. But then Beth smiled and leaned over him to kiss him in the corner of his mouth, as if it was an accident, and then she left. Daryl watched her go, and then he turned his head and looked at Georgia’s sky, thinking about how fucked up he was.

Maggie didn’t take long to find out that something weird was going on there. Actually, she was needed one day. Next morning, she appeared in his place extremely pissed off. Daryl started pretending he was putting some order in that chaos while she kept dropping bombs.

“What the fuck were you thinking, Daryl? Really?” as the time went by and he stayed silent, her fury kept growing, “You thought I wouldn’t find out, didn’t you?”

“Find out what, Maggie?” he asked tiredly, “There’s nothing to find out about” Maggie seemed to freeze momentarily.

“Don’t treat me as if I was some idiot, Daryl”.

Daryl glazed at her for a few instants before he looked away. He felt a little bit like a traitor: Maggie was his best friend, the first person who had ever worried about him excepting Merle and his fucked up definition of love, that is. It was almost as if he was breaking some dude code with her: don’t ever go out with your bud’s sister. Let alone if they’re the baby sisters.

But Beth and he weren’t dating.

 

Yeah, it was true they met to have lunch, to hang out or just spend time together, but they _weren’t_ dating. They didn’t go to the cinema, they didn’t share ice-creams or take romantic walks while they hold hands (well, that last thing could be true) and they didn’t refer at each other with corny nicknames. They just did everything they used to before, just a little bit more _affectionately._ And hey, Daryl wasn’t complaining. He wasn’t about to push Beth away if she leaned over to kiss him, or if she pressed herself against him until there was no air between them.

Well, maybe they weren’t dating, but he was lying to Maggie. What Beth and he had didn’t have anything to do with what Maggie and he had.

“I never thought you were an idiot, Mags” he said quietly.

“Then don’t tell me that there’s nothing to find out” she replied, “Don’t tell me that shit as if nothing. Just… just tell me the truth”.

 

Daryl sighed as he dropped a bed sheet, reminding himself that he had to do the laundry. He turned around to face her. He was surprised to learn that Maggie’s eyes were so alike to Beth’s. Color, size and shape were different, but they both burnt when they were angry. And in Maggie’s case, it looked like she was more hurt than anything.

“None of your business” he said simply. It was true, but it also was like a confession. Maggie’s eyes widened impossibly, and then she frowned.

“And… and you… she and you-?”

“Fuck, Maggie” he interrupted her, horrified, “I’m not gonna tell you anything”.

Maggie looked at him for a few instants and then she buried her face between her hands.

“Oh my god”.

Daryl thought Maggie would break his nose. He was positive he could rip her apart in seconds, but he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to fight with his best friend; he didn’t want her to hate him because he had acted like a jackass.

“I’m sorry” it was all he could think of, but he wasn’t exactly sure why. Why was he sorry? Because he was dating Beth? Because he hadn’t told her? Both? Maggie seemed to be wondering the same thing, because she lifted her head and glazed at him:

“You’re sorry?”

“I should’ve told you”.

“Yes, you should’ve”.

“I’m sorry” he repeated.

“Don’t” she countered, leaving him more confused. She inhaled deeply, “Since Annette died I hadn’t seen Beth so… I don’t know, as how she was before. I know I must look like the worst old sister ever, and I probably am. I left her when she was struggling with Annette’s death and I hid in college instead. And you… well, you make her happy. I’m not saying that I’m okay with this” she added quickly, “it is extremely weird, and I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it, but… Beth’s old enough to take her own decisions, and you’re my best bud. So if you like each other, I won’t be the one objecting… whatever you have”.

Daryl grinned, thankful for his friend’s act. Then she approached him and patted him on his shoulder so hard that he was momentarily breathless.

“But if you hurt her” she warned him with a calm tone, “if I find out you’ve been a jerk with her and you’ve gone all Dixon with my baby sister, I’ll fucking destroy you”.

And then she laughed softly. Daryl laughed with her, but a strange worry started growing inside him.

* * *

 

The rest of the Greene family reacted with a shocking calm. Shawn scanned Daryl with a severe expression for a while before he stood up (and it was then when Daryl wondered if it wasn’t Maggie the destined to break his nose) and hug him as if he was trying to suffocate him. Daryl tried to breathe as he patted him not very gently on his back, trying to ease the pressure. Beth and Maggie were laughing discretely as Julie congratulated him like they had just announced they were engaged.

Hershel said nothing, not even to give his “blessing” or to object something. However, when his little girl approached him to kiss him on his cheek, he smiled sweetly, moving her daughter closer to him until she was practically on his lap, as if she was still a kid.

The old man walked towards Daryl when he was going to leave with Maggie. Beth kissed him on his cheek, trying to not tempt their fate too much.

“Son, can we talk?” Hershel asked him as he rested his hand on Daryl’s shoulder. Daryl nodded as Maggie got in the car discretely, waiting on them to finish their talk, “It’ll be just a moment”.

But he walked towards a rocking chair in the porch and sat, letting out a small whimper. He shook his hand when Daryl frowned, worried, and tried to approach him.

“’S nothing, I’m okay” he assured Daryl. He then pointed to the rocking chair beside his, and Daryl sat and waited, as if he was a student waiting for his teacher’s punishment, “I suppose there’s no use in beatin’ around the bush”

“No, there isn’t” Daryl agreed.

“God has curious methods to show us the way” Daryl wondered if he was going to evangelize him now, but he kept his mouth shut, “I met Josephine when I was thirty. She was nineteen. I’ll never forget what his father told me. He was very clear about it: I hurt his little girl, he’ll try his shotgun with me”.

Daryl swallowed hard.

“Josephine gave me two wonderful daughters and saved me from the bottom of a whiskey’s bottle before Lord claimed her. And I wonder, what would’ve happened if I had cowered in front of her dad, or if I had been too afraid to stay with her. I’m sure neither of us would be here today... or my Bethy. Lord’s ways are mysterious, Daryl, and not always easy to understand. But I’m sure one day, He’ll make me understand. God is generous and gifted me with three children, but now? Now I have four”.

Hershel raised his hand and squeezed his shoulder.

“That doesn’t mean that I can’t use a shotgun” he said, raising an eyebrow, “Take good care of her”.

Daryl nodded energetically, not knowing what to say. He stood up, shook hands with Hershel and got in the car, trying to get rid of the knot in his throat. Maggie squinted at him briefly, but said nothing. Sometimes silence is more revealing than words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and please comment!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has not been edited yet. Please as always ignore every possible mistakes.  
> Enjoy!

As weeks went on, what they had started becoming more _real_. Daryl almost felt able to hold her hand while they were walking or kiss her without worrying about someone seeing them –even though he didn’t do that that much since the public displays of affection weren’t his favorite thing- but at least he didn’t feel that weigh on his shoulders, that guiltiness because Beth was always hiding. He could pick her up and lift her home without watching who was looking. It was a refreshing change.

And three months before, they attended Shawn and Julie’s wedding as a formal couple. The whole Greene family knew of Daryl’s existence, which provoked that he was forced to let everyone assault him with questions and comment about him in his face, but fortunately, all of them were nice comments about “Bethy’s handsome new boyfriend”. Daryl held on and contained his awkwardness, so he kind of passed the familiar test. He was being examined by Auntie Irma and her friends when Beth appeared, hugging him from behind.

“Can I steal him from you ten minutes?” she smiled.

“’Course you can, sweetheart! Really handsome, your boyfriend, really, really attractive” the old woman nodded, absolutely delighted. Beth started laughing when Daryl flushed.

“Yeah, he is” Beth agreed, taking his hand and moving him away from the crowd. Daryl relaxed immediately, but he tensed again when he realized that his hands were on her waist and hers were clasped behind his neck.

“I don’t-“

“Please, just one dance” she begged, pouting, “What happened with southern hospitality?”

“I think you Greene girls need to learn the meaning of that” Daryl muttered, but he finally gave in. It was awkward and clumsy, and he couldn’t follow the beat really well, but she was just swaying softly, laughing and trying to make him relax, even though he couldn’t until the dance finally ended. However, Beth didn’t seem satisfied with that brief participation, because she leaned more against him and whispered in his ear that she didn’t want to be there anymore.

 

They got out discretely and walked through the parking quickly. They finally arrived to some kind of forest surrounding the celebration hall.

“Otis and Patricia celebrated their reception here too” she commented, “I was little. I managed to get away with the other kids and we ended up beside a lake”.

“What lake?” Daryl shut up when he saw the lake in front of them. Beth unclasped their hands and sat on the grass, making a gesture to sit beside her. He hesitated before he did so.

 

Beth was wearing a very similar dress to the one he had seen years before, in the same sky blue tone, but it was fancier and more appropriate for a wedding than for a service. Her hair was down in soft waves, and she had barely put any make-up on. Daryl couldn’t believe she was _his_ girl. Like it wasn’t coherent that someone like her would want to be with her.

 

But it _was_ real. The soft brushes of her lips against his confirmed that. He moved her closer to him, until they were practically laying on the grass, he above her, kissing her with such passion that he thought he would end up breathless if they kept doing that much longer. Beth, on the other hand, didn’t seem really willing to let him go so easily: she hugged him as soon as he moved away to breathe.

“Beth…” he managed to articulate between kisses, “Beth” he repeated. He couldn’t think straight now that her hands were wandering down his back, now that his own hands were exploring almost with devotion every soft inch of her skin. In that darkness, touch was his only guide. He froze when he realized that he had reached the end of her skirt and that he was brushing carefully her inner thigh. Beth moaned softly, but he moved away.

“What’s wrong?” she asked quietly, as if raising her voice would spoil the moment. Daryl shook his head.

“This… isn’t right” he said, collapsing beside her. Beth rested on her side and turned to look at him with a confused expression.

“Of course it is” she answered, caressing his chin gently. She rested her hand on his cheek and approached him to kiss him softly, but he didn’t relax, “Daryl, calm down. It’s me”.

“That’s the problem” he replied, trying to move her away as carefully as possible, but it was like he had pushed her way, judging her hurt look, but she didn’t pressure him further. She lied again on the grass and they both remained silent, watching the night sky.

“Daryl” she muttered a few minutes after that, “what are we doing?”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he preferred to keep watching the stars a little bit longer, wondering how longer she would take to resume her talking.

She didn’t take much. He felt her moving, hovering over him. Even in the dimness, he could see the spark of insecurity in her eyes.

“’M too old for ya” he finally said without looking her straight in the eye.

“You’re not that old, Daryl. You know I was just teasing you” she tried to reassure him, but he shook his head again.

“Beth, I could be your dad. You’re eighteen and lotta things to live yet. You’ll go to college and know more guys of your age with whom you can do _this_ ” he answered, emphasizing the last word, “I can’t take this away from you”.

Words tumbled out of his mouth before he could think them too much. It was almost as if everything he’d been keeping for himself those months had let out in between kisses.

Beth glazed at him as if he was joking.

“My family loves you. I don’t care about your age, and I… I don’t wanna know any more guys of my age. I wanna be with you” she said, but he didn’t react. She breathed shakily, “I love you”.

Daryl turned his head. Her hair was almost touching the ground, and her eyes were glassy from the tears. He wished he hadn’t opened his mouth in the first place. He wished he had kept kissing her and reaching the point they were meant to reach. He actually wished he could go back in time, but he couldn’t. He had let out all of his insecurities and now he had to deal with consequences.

Seconds went by while she waited for his response. He saw how the spark of hope in her eyes faded away slowly as her body moved away from his. Daryl felt like the temperature had dropped suddenly.

Beth stood up and started cleaning the back of her dress frenetically, avoiding looking at him.

“Beth” he called her, but she shook her head.

“I’m so stupid” she muttered. She stopped cleaning her dress and dropped her arms as if she was a rag doll, letting her chin hit her chest. She exhaled deeply to contain all the tears. Daryl raised his hand to reach hers, but she stepped back, “Sorry. I need to breathe”.

And before he could say or do anything to stop her, she had left at full speed. Daryl got up definitely and started running.

 

He found her in the entry of the parking, just about to get into the bathroom. He grabbed her by her forearm to turn her around, but his stomach sunk when he saw she was crying her eyes out.

“What?” she asked harshly, but she looked away. Daryl felt like shit.

“M’ sorry”

“You’re sorry?” she moved from his handgrip rudely and wiped her tears, “I’m sorry too, Daryl. I’m sorry that I’ve spent months dating someone who cowers when something gets a bit complicated”.

“It’s not that easy”.

“Oh, it was easy for me?” she countered, letting her tears fall freely, “I’m scared too. It’s never been like that with anyone. I’ve never felt like this with anyone either, so I’m afraid that you’ll get tired and leave, or that you won’t want me as I want you. And it seems like I was right, ‘cause I-“

Her voice cracked and she buried her face between her hands, sobbing silently. Her shaking shoulders were the only signal of her crying.

“Daryl, what did you do to her?” Maggie shouted from across the parking. She approached them quickly and held Beth softly, “What happened?”

“I-“ he tried to explain himself, but Maggie’s expression silenced him. He had never seen her so angry.

“Let it be, Maggie” Beth said suddenly, moving away from her sister’s embrace. Maggie seemed confused, “It’s not his fault. It’s nothing”.

“Nothing?” she repeated incredulously. Beth nodded and smiled softly.

“Yeah, I mean it. I just need some water” she answered, glazing at her in a way that meant that she needed to leave. Maggie pierced her with her eyes one more time before she turned on her heels and returned to the celebrations hall.

Daryl remained silent while she tried to clean her face unsuccessfully. Daryl took out of his pocket his old red cloth.

“What?” he asked when she started laughing. He had tried to understand Greene girls, but it was impossible. And if not, then someone please explained to him why the girl he had just made cry was now laughing because he had given her his cloth. He’d be lying if he said that he wasn’t a little bit annoyed because he didn’t have a clue of what to do.

“You always give this to me when we argue” she muttered. Then he understood: it was the same cloth he had offered her almost a year ago when they had fought in the gas station. It seemed like it had passed a whole life since that. She stared at it for a few instants before she folded it and raised her head. Daryl knew he had to say something or he would lose her definitely.

“I don’t know how…” he started before his voice faded away. He had to be honest, but not _so much._ He squinted at her, hoping that she would make things easier for him, but she kept silent, watching him with her eyes red from her crying, “It’s not that I don’t wanna be with you. It’s just I can’t”.

“Yes you can” she answered immediately after.

“No, I _can’t_ ” he insisted, but Beth shook her head, “I’m not fool enough to not realize that I’m not the best for you. Or to ignore the fact that one day you’ll wake up and hate being with me, with the much older redneck friend of your sister, the same asshole who was nothin’ to offer. Tell me, why the fuck would you stay with me?”

Beth’s eyes widened, as if she couldn’t believe it. She swallowed hard and fixed his sight on the ground. Daryl thought he’ll end up sinking in the concrete. It was obvious she had finally realized everything and she was trying to find a nice way to send him to hell. Better now than later, when he was so in deep that he couldn’t get out.

_You already are that deep._

“Don’t. Ever. Say. That. Again” she murmured, “Ever. Don’t ever tell me again you’re worth nothing, that you got nothing. You’re the best man I know. You’re kind, brave, and funny, and intelligent, and generous, and you always protect the ones you love, and you really care. And yeah, okay, you have defects, you’re stubborn, and you’re so shut, and if you make an effort you can be pretty jackass, but I love you like that. I don’t want anyone else. I want you”.

Daryl didn’t realize he had stepped forward. He just simply found her against his chest, her chin hitting him lightly while he rounded her with his arms. Beth stayed like that, without moving actively, until he heard her gasp. Truth is he was trying to contain some tears. He managed to do so and moved her even closer to him. Then she let her little arms wander through his back until they moved to his shoulders and her hands grabbed them as if they were her stability.

“You’re an idiot” she whispered. She moved to look at him, frowning, “After all we’ve been through… how could you think that?”

Daryl tried to answer, but then she smiled. He looked down at her, trying to memorize every single feature of her face, and then he kissed her softly. She kissed him back happily and threw her arms around his neck. When they finally broke the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers.

“We should go back in” he muttered.

“Yes, we should go back” she answered, “but not to the party”.

Daryl opened his eyes and glazed at her curiously while she kept that blinding smile on her face. She took his hand and dragged him to the car while he let her, feeling a knot in his stomach.

* * *

 

It was sunrays hitting on his face what woke him up. Well, that and a soft voice whispering:

“It’s almost noon”.

Daryl opened his eyes and found her on all fours with her lips next to her ear, twitched in a sweet smile. A few strands of hair fell on his face and tickled him. He grinned slightly before he turned his head. Beth received him with a gentle kiss before she collapsed beside him on the mattress.

Daryl observed her: her cheeks were flushing, her eyes were sparkling, almost fading the smeared make-up, and her hair looked as if a hurricane had visited it. Gorgeous.

He didn’t wait anymore and surrounded her with his arms, placing her on top of him, kissing her less sweetly than before. He grinned when he heard her sigh. She always did it when he kissed her like that, and he wouldn’t ever get tired of hearing her.

“Good morning to you too” she managed to say when they moved apart before she started laughing. Then she hid her face on his neck and peeked at him, as if all the shyness had reappeared suddenly, “How did you sleep?”

“ _Really_ well” he assured her, so emphatically that she laughed again. He smiled and pulled a strand of her behind her ear, “And you?”

She sighed and nodded without stopping smiling.

“I’ve never slept better”.

Daryl blushed and cleared his throat.

“And you’re…” he paused awkwardly, “You’re okay?”

“ _Really_ okay” she quoted him.

“Doesn’t it hurt?”

She shrugged.

“A little bit, but… it’s kind of _nice_ ”.

If he wasn’t sure if he was blushed before, now he was convinced. But, why was he the one flushing? It was her who said things like that as if nothing.

“It wasn’t good. I mean, for you” he added quickly.

“Of course it was. I loved it”.

“You didn’t-“

“I did. Daryl” she interrupted her, now with a serious expression, “I did love it”.

She watched her for a few seconds before she leaned over him to kiss him.

“Besides” she continued as she hovered over him, “we have time to practice”.

Daryl only had a second to process her words before Beth kissed him again and all of his thoughts faded away instantly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! If you liked it, express it with a comment, and if you didn't, show me your hate too, why not?


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has not been edited yet. Please ignore every possible mistakes.  
> Enjoy!

Daryl didn’t need anything except her expression to know what Beth was going to tell him as soon as she got in the car that day, a couple months after Shawn’s wedding. Her face was practically glowing.

“I made it!” she shouted, deafening him momentarily. He hugged her tightly nevertheless, so tightly that he was afraid he could break her something, but she hugged him back even more tightly when she noticed him loosen his hug, “I can’t believe it”

“I can” he said, his face happily buried in her hair, “They’d be assholes to not notice you”

“Daryl” she scolded him gently, but she couldn’t stop smiling. She moved a little so she could kiss him sweetly, “I was so nervous…” she giggled, “I really can’t believe it”.

Daryl put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her one more time, letting her essence invade him. He always relaxed when she was so close to him, warm and small against his body.

“Love ya girl” he muttered. He felt her tense, and then she moved away to look him, “What?”

“You’ve never said that before” she answered quietly, her expression quite shocked. Daryl snorted, trying to refrain his blushing provoked by her intense stare, and half grinned.

“Then” he started while he moved her closer to him again, “you should start gettin’ used to it”

He wasn’t sure if he could ever repeat it with as much frequency as she deserved, but he was willing to try and say it a thousand times again if that meant seeing her looking at him with those sparkling eyes full of happiness.

* * *

 

The first semester went by calmly. Now that Beth went to college they couldn’t be together so many hours as before, but they managed to see each other at least five minutes.

Most days, he was lucky and ended his shift at the same time she ended hers in a little coffee shop. She would see him there and her face would light up, as if she just couldn’t believe that he kept going. She would stop talking to her partner, say goodbye in a rush and run towards him to hug him. He was always able to raise her a few inches from the floor, because even if she was an adult, she was still light as a little bird. She’d laugh and give him a peck before she got in his bike. They’d go to Daryl’s place and have dinner there, telling each other about their day. Beth could talk for a long time about how much she loved college, her job and her friends, but he mostly let her speak. Truth is, his happiest time of the day, he was living it right there. Most days she could stay for the night, but there were others when she had to study or couldn’t afford to get late to college. It wasn’t as if she didn’t trust Daryl in getting her in time, but they both knew neither of them would make it out of bed if she stayed, and even if it was hard to admit, staying couldn’t be an option every time. Those days were the worst for Daryl: him, who had never felt comfortable about people, who had always preferred being in his own, felt his tiny bed turn into a huge mattress which was too empty. It was hard to sleep when sheets always had her smell, and when he reached his hand to touch her, with his eyes closed; he just found the cold place where she slept.

 

But in general, and fortunately, Beth spent more time at Daryl’s place than at hers. Her parents weren’t worried anymore about her not coming back after work. They knew she’d be with him, so if they needed to speak to her, they’d just call her there. Daryl started to get a bit sick of this coming-and-leaving game. He couldn’t understand why he just didn’t ask her to move in with him. Hell, she already had her own keys. He only had to tell her and everything would be alright.

But then, why words kept dying in his throat every time he tried to tell her?

 

It wasn’t like he had doubts: he loved Beth and he wanted her to live with him. Everything would be a lot easier that way –and anyway, half of her stuff was already there- so it wouldn’t even be a radical change. It was just he was scared that she wouldn’t want that.

 

But then, one night, Beth got out of bed and looked at him over her shoulder, with that disappointed expression before she told him she had to leave to study for a test. And suddenly he didn’t want her to leave. He saw her bending to look for her clothes, and then he got up and grabbed her by her waist, throwing her again against the mattress, kissing her fiercely before she could even react. Beth opened her mouth instinctively, and grabbed him so strongly that her short nails dug on his back.

“What was that?” she panted, breathless, once their mouths broke away.

“Move in with me” he said, his face resting against her neck. After a minute without an answer, he moved to look at her. He regretted instantly: he felt a pang of pain when he saw her eyes glassy from tears, “What’s wrong? If you don’t want it, you don’t-“

But she was already sobbing, while she patted him gently on his chest to make him roll over. He broke away from her and she buried her face between her hands, trying to suffocate her tears. He had no clue what to do: he didn’t even know what happened, and he wasn’t sure if she wanted him near her right then.

“It’s not that, it’s not that…” she took a deep breath and started wiping her tears. She turned lightly to caress his stubble, “I’m sorry, Daryl, it’s my fault. I didn’t know how to tell you”.

He felt a know in his stomach tensing as seconds went by and she kept silent.

“Tell me what?” he finally asked.

“Do you remember Andrea, Maggie’s friend?” Daryl had to make a quick recall before he nodded, “Her little sister, Amy, works in an art school, and they have a really good program for musicians. They don’t usually give lotta scholarships, so when I made the application I did it mostly because Maggie insisted in it. It wasn’t like I really thought they’d pick me…”

“But that’s a good thin’, Beth” Daryl wiped her tears carefully before he pinched her nose sweetly, “What’s wrong, is it far? I can drive-“

“It’s in New York”.

The temperature of the room dropped suddenly. Daryl knew he had to look like a dumbass right now, with his mouth gaping and unable to say anything useful.

“I wanted to tell you, Daryl, but I hadn’t even given an answer. I didn’t know what to do. It’s an amazing opportunity, but I don’t want this to separate us. We already had few moments together with college and work, just imagine if I left. We’d barely see each other”.

“It’s not like… I…” he cleared his throat, trying to gain time and put his thoughts in place, “Beth, I think you should accept”.

Beth’s eyes widened.

“You really think so?”

“It’s a good opportunity, right?”

“Yeah, but-“

“And you wanna accept”.

“Well, yeah, it’s a good school, and…” Beth seemed to reflect about it, “It would just be a couple months”.

Daryl nodded.

“We’ll get by” he understated, before he hugged her and kissed her hair. Beth sighed and wiggled to kiss him.

“I love you” she whispered.

“Love ya too” he answered before he put her on her back again, starting to kiss her neck. Beth decided to ignore that once the sensible voice that reminded her that she needed to study. She doubted she would memorize a single word if she left.

* * *

 

It was Saturday, and it had been three weeks since Beth had left to go to New York. Therefore, Daryl had spent three weeks without sleeping, and it was starting taking its toll. He grunted when phone started ringing, depriving him from the few sleep he had finally caught. He thought that it would stop eventually, but whoever it was seemed to be really interested in talking to him. Grumbling, he dragged himself out of bed and picked up.

“Mm?” he didn’t even bother in pronounce a single word.

“Daryl? I woke you up?” he recognized Maggie’s voice.

“Whaddaya think?”

“It’s almost noon, I thought you’d already be up” she answered.

“You thought wrong”.

“Wow, you’re grumpy today, huh?” she commented, amused. Daryl grunted in response and rubbed his eyes.

“Wha’s wrong, Mags?”

“I wanted to give notice in person, but I’m working on my thesis and I think I won’t be able to go outta my room until I graduate, so…”

Daryl massaged the bridge of his nose while he waited for Maggie to stop beating around the bush.

“Spit it out, Greene”.

“I think you’ll have to start calling me Rhee soon”.

There was a brief silence.

“Huh?” he didn’t need to see her to know that she had rolled her eyes.

“Glenn’s last name”

Another brief silence.

“Oh” he said. A few seconds later, something clicked in his sleepy mind, “You’re fucking with me”.

Again, he could imagine her hopping in her desk’s chair while she giggled.

“What, what do you think? Maggie Rhee Greene. It sounds cool, right?”

Daryl restrained his tongue to not say something rude that could offend her of Glenn, even though he wasn’t present. He liked the boy enough to control himself.

“Does Beth know?” he asked.

“’Course she knows, silly” she huffed, “She almost makes me go deaf with that shout she let out, but I kinda understand. I can’t believe it myself”.

“So the Korean boy grew a pair, huh…”

“Daryl” she interrupted him, trying to sound severe, even though he knew she’d be containing a giggle, “I’ll spare you the details since I know you don’t want them, but it was beautiful. I honestly thought he was never gonna propose”.

Daryl snorted.

“Well, there you have” he made a pause, “Maggie Rhee. Fuck, I feel sorry for your children”.

“Fuck off, Dixon, not that you can boast” she answered, laughing, “Dixon Greene. I _do_ feel sorry for my nephews and nieces”.

There was another silence, a lot longer and more awkward than the previous, and she was who resumed the chat:

“Daryl”

“What?” he replied, in a harsher tone than he intended.

“Beth and you… everything’s alright, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it’s all alright”.

“Glad to hear that” Maggie answered cautiously. He heard her sigh melodramatically, “I think I should continue with my personal torture. We’ll talk, Dixon” she told him, in a tone that augured a future and long chat full of questions. Oh, he knew too well how Greene sisters worked to ignore that.

“We’ll talk, _Rhee_ ” he mocked her. She huffed before she hung up, probably rolling her eyes again. She did it so often when they talked that he was surprised that her eyeballs hadn’t come out of her sockets yet.

He scratched his nape and headed towards shower, thinking about calling Beth when he got out. He was convinced that his mattress had expanded the triple now that she wasn’t there, and he wondered if it happened to her too.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! If you liked it, leave a comment telling me about it, and if you didn't, c'mon, leave a comment too so I can improve! ^^


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has not been edited yet. Please ignore every possible mistakes.  
> Enjoy!   
> A lot ;)

A month and a half went by, and it did so slowly that Daryl wondered if time had extended just like his bed had. The fact that Maggie was going to graduate in two weeks and get married in four didn’t ease the situation at all. He had to deal with his friend in such an hysterical state that he just let her talk about details about the wedding, her graduation, her degree, her wedding dress, and her super brief pauses to breathe so she could resume her monologue. Daryl loved her as a sister, but he could barely contain the impulse of grabbing her by her shoulders and shake her.

 

A part of him, the tiny and rational one, whispered archly that his irritation came from a very simple feeling: envy. Maggie’s life was about to change in mere weeks, whereas his hadn’t changed in the least, almost as if it had taken a step back: he almost didn’t spend time with Maggie since she was so busy and practically unbearable, he worked and went home, and the only thing that could save him from crashing himself against a tree while he rode his bike was the fact that he would talk to Beth when he came home.

 

Regarding Beth, she was almost as busy as her sister: she spent her time from one place to another, and when she could talk to him, she did it in a rush and without stopping walking. She told him that she had begun to collaborate in different activities to get higher marks and recognize subjects, and even though her schedule was full, one way or another she was always convinced to join another thing. As result, she was so stressed out that she hadn’t even been able to come back home to help Maggie with the wedding’s arrangements. Maggie was fuming because of that too.

“She shouted at me for fifteen minutes, no stop, Daryl” she told him, “I left my cell, I took a shower and when I came back, she was still shouting and she hadn’t even realized I wasn’t listening to her”.

“She’s fucking nuts, you know that”.

“Daryl” she laughed, trying to sound severe, “I miss you”.

“Miss you too” he muttered, in a less light tone than before, “It’s almost over”.

“I’ll be back before you realize, I swear”.

“That’s impossible, girl” he grunted, “I’ve _really_ realized it already”.

A brief silence followed before she resumed their talking:

“I gotta go, Amy’s searching me again. We’ll talk tomorrow?” Daryl grunted an affirmative answer, “Night. Love you”.

Beth hung up before he could answer. When he left his phone again, he decided that he would go out that night. If he stayed at home he’d gone crazy.

So he called Maggie and convinced her to have a few drinks together.

“You’ll be married soon and people we’ll look at us like we’re fucking. Let’s have a bachelorette for the ol’ times” he told her, and he knew she’d accept before she answered.

“In one hour in our bar”.

Daryl didn’t know how many hours they spent in there, he just knew that when they were reaching the fifth round, he was already used to that strange mix of sweat, beer and smoke that were bars’ smell again. Heat was the only thing that bothered him. He wiped the sweat off his face with the back of his hand and glazed at his friend, sitting beside him at the bar.

“You don’t wanna marry Beth?” Daryl almost spilled his beer.

“What fucking question’s that?”

Maggie shrugged.

“You’ve been together a long time, haven’t you? And you’re not _that_ young anymore. I’m sure Beth will want to finish college and get a degree before she gets married, but for when that happens you’ll be… how much? Thirty seven?” she hiccupped before she giggled, “Damn, you’re so old”.

“Thanks” he grunted, taking the beer to his lips.

“I think it’d be beautiful. I can’t picture you on your knee though” Maggie started laughing then, but she stopped when she saw her friend’s expression, “Sorry, sorry. C’mon, why not? It’s not serious or what?”

“None of your business”.

“I tell you everything, Dixon” she protested.

“Unfortunately”.

“You’re so damn grumpy” she smacked him on his arm, “C’mon, tell me. Why not?”

Daryl huffed. He knew drunk Maggie was even more insistent than sober Maggie, and he doubted that he could ignore her so well being drunk too.

“The thing is she don’t wanna marry me”

He turned and saw her staring at him with wide eyes.

“I thought you were smarter, Dixon” she said, raising her eyebrows, “My sister’s crazy about ya”.

“Sure” he muttered before he sipped again. Maggie sighed dramatically and stared at the wall in front of her, her eyes glassy from the alcohol she had drunk.

“I dunno, my sister’s a hopeless romantic” and now drunk Maggie was starting to ramble, “She’s always loved this kinda stuff. Organizing weddings, be dressed in white… I like that stuff too, but I have a reputation to keep” she smiled, “She’ll surely accept the job and when you two move you’ll be able to live together like you were married, but I know she wants to have your last name and-“

“Whaddaya say?” he interrupted her brusquely. Maggie looked at him, confused.

“Huh?”

“What job?”

“What’re you talking ‘bout?”

“You just said Beth will accept the job. What job?” he repeated, trying to be patient. Maggie opened slowly her mouth, as if she had just understood, and shook her head suddenly.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about” she answered quickly.

“Don’t play the fool with me, Greene. You have no escape” he said, using the most intimidating tone he had. Maggie closed her eyes fiercely, indicating that she had screwed it up.

“She’s been offered a half-time work as children’s music teacher until she finishes college” she bit her lip, waiting for his reaction, “She told me accidently yesterday and now I tell this to you. I’m a bigmouth”.

Daryl stood up all of a sudden.

“Daryl, wait” she called him, but he didn’t turn. He reached the parking and mounted on his bike. He didn’t even think about the fact that he shouldn’t drive being as drunk as he was. He just wanted to get home as soon as possible to go to bed and hibernate for a few years.

 

He climbed the stairs quickly, more effectively than he expected since he was lit, and he froze when he got to his floor. He had imagined that moment several times, but now it was the last thing he wanted to see: Beth sitting on the floor, her back against his door, and her gaze fixed somewhere at the end of the aisle. She turned her head when she heard him and her face lighted up when she saw him.

“Daryl” she said quietly before she hopped up, “Hold on”.

He noticed that she had a chocolate muffin on one hand and she was looking for something inside her pocket, until she took out a lighter. She lighted up a little candle on the top of the muffin after a couple tries and stretched her arms, offering it to him.

“It was gonna consume before you arrived” she laughed softly, but her smile faded as soon as she saw his expression, “Daryl, what’s wrong?”

Daryl didn’t even answer her. He opened the door and came in. He didn’t close it though: he wasn’t able to do such a mean thing to her. She followed him shortly after, closing the door before her carefully. He felt like a dick, but he wanted to scream. He was too drunk and too angry to contain himself.

“Did you… did you drink alcohol?” she asked. Daryl huffed, his back facing her.

“Yes. Yeah, I’ve drunk _alcohol_. Don’t tell me you didn’t know I did that” he turned around and looked at her. Her eyes were widened, watching him silently, surprised by his rude tone.

“It’s just… you hadn’t drunk in a while” she murmured. She blew out the candle and left the muffin on his coffee table. She lifted her arm to touch him, but he moved away, “Daryl, what’s wrong?”

“You tell me” he grunted, barely looking at her.

“I don’t know” Beth answered, visibly confused, “Please, tell me what’s wrong. What happened?”

“Why the fuck don’t you go ask Maggie? She already knows what’s goin’ on in your life” he did turn this time. He saw her standing her, pain across her face, and then comprehension appeared on it and a knot surged in his throat.

“She told you” she muttered.

“Yeah, she told me. She was a bit lit to realize it though. So now we’re this? Wasn’t it you who said that we didn’t lie to each other?”

“I didn’t lie to you” she protested quickly.

“Hell you didn’t!” Daryl exclaimed, kicking the coffee table, which agitated threateningly, “Tell me, when did they offered you the job?”

Beth kept silent for a few seconds. Daryl was starting to think that she wouldn’t answer, but then her voice appeared again:

“Two days ago”.

Daryl glazed at her, but her gaze was fixed on the floor. It was obvious that she felt ashamed, but he didn’t feel bad for her. He was the one being fucking tricked.

“Fucking great” he said in a lot calmer tone than he expected, “ _Wonderful **”.**_

“Daryl, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier” she started, “I didn’t wanna tell you on the phone-“

“But you could tell Maggie” he interrupted her. Beth frowned, feeling hurt.

“It was an accident”.

“What a coincidence, you were pretty careful with me” he growled, letting alcohol speak for him, “What? Do you have a boyfriend there or somethin’?”

He said it without thinking, but it was enough to light the fire in Beth’s eyes.

“You don’t mean that”.

“I do” he answered, even though it wasn’t true. He was already regretting it, but his obstinacy didn’t let him take it back, let alone in a moment like this. Beth took a step forward, forgetting about her previous doubts.

“That’s what you think of me? You really think I’m the kind of girl who would date someone just to cheat on him when he turned around? Do you think I’d _cheat_ on you?” Beth’s voice was completely strong. She was enraged and extremely angry.

It was Daryl’s turn to look away. He felt like an idiot for saying something like that, but he didn’t want to lose that argument. It wasn’t fair.

“Why didn’t you fucking tell me? I thought it would be just two months! Now what, do you want me to go to New York with you? You’re gonna leave Atlanta’s college?”

“What if I do!?” she shouted, almost burning up, “It’s my life and these are my decisions!”

“And I have no place in those decisions!?” he shouted back. Daryl knew it was too late, that his walls were too thin and that soon they would hear his neighbors hitting the walls to make them shut up, but he couldn’t stop. If he bit his tongue he’d poison himself.

“I haven’t said yes yet, Daryl! I’ve come here to talk about it with you, so don’t dare telling me that I don’t include you in my life, as if I ignore you or something!” she was almost standing on her tiptoes, trembling with fury, “It’s not easy for me either!”

“What a fucking relief then! It wasn’t me who moved seven fucking hundred miles and left you behind!”

“If you didn’t want me to leave you should’ve told me!”

“You didn’t give me lotta options! I ask you to move in with me and you start crying and telling me that you didn’t think they’d pick you, as if you had already decided to leave! What did you want me to say, “Stay here”?”

“That’s exactly what you should’ve said!” she screamed.

“I couldn’t take that from you, Beth! Fuck, you don’t get it! I _couldn’t_ do that to you!” he stumbled when he felt her lips smashing against his. He had a second to regain stability before she threw her arms around his neck and threw him against the wall all of a sudden. It wasn’t a sweet, calming kiss as Beth’s kisses were: that one was full of fire, of passion, pressing him more and more against her.

 

Daryl’s reaction didn’t take long. He surrounded her with her arms and kissed her back, opening his mouth to let her in, but this time he controlled the kiss. If she was passionate, he wasn’t exactly tender: he was attacking her with his tongue, he bit her lip, he didn’t leave a corner on her mouth without exploration, letting out all of his rage and frustration, making her moan of pain and pleasure.

Daryl lowered his hands to her ass, lifting her until she wrapped her legs around his waist. He moved blindly towards the couch, where they fell with a thud, without separating their lips for a single moment. He just managed to take off his shirt before Beth pushed him closer for a new kiss as he tried to get rid of her blouse. For when that happened her lips were so dangerously close to his ear, planting sweet, wet kisses that he just practically ripped the buttons off. Beth didn’t mind though. Instead, she let her tongue go through his neck before she bit carelessly at his jaw line. Daryl grunted and pushed her more against him on the couch, sliding his hands down her body, pressing his hips against hers, getting soft moans out of her that make him lost every sense of sanity.

 

Beth raised a moment so she could unclasp her bra before she dropped it next to her on the floor and turn her head to kiss Daryl immediately after. He left his hands wander up her belly until he reached her breasts, cupping her gently. Beth sighed between kisses, digging her nails on his back. Daryl left her lips to keep worshipping her neck. He wandered and wandered until he reached her clavicles, leaving a soft trail of kisses. When his face was in front of her breast, he felt how her breath hitched, just as his tongue explored her soft flesh. Beth buried a hand on his hair while she tightened her legs against his waist. But Daryl didn’t stop there: he kept lowering until his mouth found her jeans. He undid them and took them off quickly, getting rid of her shoes on the way. Beth wiggled to help him, not knowing that she was driving him even crazier. Watching her like that, blushed from her arousal, with her panties as the only barrier between them was a picture too beautiful to let it go as if nothing. He buried his face between her thighs and grinned when she gasped of surprise. At the beginning he was just caressing her with his fingers or his breath against the increasing moisture between her legs, just to urge her, to make her feel just a bit of the desperation he had felt. No need to say he couldn’t keep it for a long time: Beth was writhing and moaning, frustrated, and he was a human being.

He felt her moving him upwards again to kiss him fiercely as her little hands fumbled with his belt and pants. He let her do her thing, too lost in how sweet her mouth was or the way she had to sigh every time his thumb pressed into her in the right way, almost as if he was the only person in the world who could give that to her.

 

Before he could realize he was only on his boxers, and they were both wearing the same amount of garments. They were deeply flushed, kissing and caressing each other on his couch, which wouldn’t stop creaking, both of them moving their hips in unison to set a delirious compass that almost sent him to the edge of the abysm before they could even start. He left his place between Beth’s legs and took off her panties in a reverential way before he got rid of his boxers as well. One of her knees was pressed against the back of the couch, so he had to move further the other one with his hand, trying to be soft in that feverish tide. He stopped one second to look at her: he could feel her heart pounding, her lips pink and swollen, and her pupils were so dilated that it was almost impossible to know that she had iris, while she kept panting strongly, making her chest rise and fall irregularly, dying of lust, of rage, of love.

 

And then he left his face hover over hers, without getting to kiss her, just letting his lips be there, trembling over her own before he slid inside her softly. They both groaned and Beth raised her head to kiss him weakly while she tried to make him move. Daryl broke away enough to look at her, and then he entered her again.

It didn’t take long for them to find a rhythm, slow and inviting. He didn’t move his eyes away from hers not a single time while he filled her, and it was almost as if they were under a spell, because she couldn’t look away either. A few minutes had passed and Daryl felt like he was dangerously close to the edge, and he moved a hand from her cheek to take it to the point where their bodies joined. Beth’s eyes widened when he started rubbing her in that little spot with his thumb. Her breath became more and more irregular as she tried to speed their movements, until she suddenly screamed and shuddered, pressing him more against her, trembling, digging her nails on his back with such strength that he thought she’d draw blood.

 

And while she tried to come back he was about to come, moving faster and faster until he realized with a cold sensation that he hadn’t used any protection. He tried to pull out, but Beth’s legs were tightly wrapped, and she didn’t let him go when he felt him trying to move away.

“Beth-“ he sighed, too lost in the sensation of being buried inside her, in how good she felt, in how… he shook his head and tried to pull out again.

“No” she whispered, almost breathless, “No”.

And then she lifted her head and started kissing his neck, almost lazily, leaving trails of saliva that hit the warm air.

“I love you” she muttered, “I love you, I love you, I love you…”

And then she bit his lobe softly and he felt like his body was on flames. He trembled uncontrollably, tensing before he fell into the abyss.

“Beth” he managed to grunt when he collapsed on her.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, in a comfortable silence while she caressed his back with her fingertips. He tried to move, but she hugged him even tighter.

“I’m crashing ya”.

“You’re not” she answered, pouting. Daryl smiled and pressed his face against her neck again. Beth turned her head to kiss him on his cheek, “I’m so sorry. I should’ve told you”.

“Don’t matter” he said.

“It does matter” she whispered, “It’s just I’m so afraid. A part of me wants to go, but the other one wants to stay. Everything’s so… abrupt, and it scares me”.

Daryl moved so he could look at her. He caressed her cheek with his thumb and she smiled.

“We could leave after Maggie and Glenn’s wedding” he muttered huskily. Beth’s eyes widened, surprised.

“You serious?” she asked. He just nodded.

“I could find a job there. Everyone needs someone to fix their bike or car” he grinned, resting the palm of his hand against her cheek. She put her hand over his and smiled, blinking to contain her tears.

“I love you” she told him, emotional. Daryl kissed her, and when their lips broke apart, she started laughing.

“What?”

“I didn’t give you my birthday congrats”.

Daryl thought it was absurd to think of something like that in those moments, but he also thought it was sweet that she remembered it.

“As I see it, you’ve congratulated me really well” he said, making her blush. He got up, and before she could react, he carried her over his shoulder to the bedroom, willing to enjoy his birthday as much as possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I REGRET NOTHING.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter!! I just wanted to thank everyone for their incredible support, for every single comment and kudos, you're just awesome! There's a sequel and a one-shot called "If you like her put a ring on her" and I'll try and translate as soon as possible. Again, thanks for everything, guys you're wonderful!  
> This chapter has not been edited yet, but please, ignore one last time the possible mistakes.  
> Enjoy!!

Maggie and Glenn’s wedding was two days ahead, and Daryl decided it was a good moment to talk with his boss. It wasn’t like they were leaving as soon as the wedding finished, but they will leave shortly after. That conversation was harder than he was willing to admit: he had really come to appreciate the only boss he had had that hadn’t exploited him nor kick him out for no reason, and he doubted that he would find another boss as good as him in New York.

 

As the day went by, he was surprised by how affected him the fact that his time in Atlanta was temporal. Suddenly, everything that seemed trivial and common was a treasure. Georgia’s forest, always familiar, always willing to be explored; the places he used to go to, Greene’s farm, every single bar he had ever gone to with Maggie, and even the supermarket he went to.

 

He found himself thinking about all the things he did there in Georgia and he wouldn’t be able to do in New York. To begin with, the weather: Beth had warned him that it was nothing like the heat that conquered Georgia. Daryl wasn’t a chilly man, but the idea of snow didn’t seem really tempting to him. He was used to the humid cold that penetrated him to the bone, but most part of the year it was a heat that revitalized, a heat that reminded him that he lived in the fucking United States’ south every night when he had to sleep with his windows opened and with the hope that some kind of breeze would come in through them. Every summer he had complained about that heat that didn’t let him sleep, and now, thinking that he would have to close the windows made him feel nostalgic.

Yeah, he was definitely going crazy. He could almost hear Merle laughing at him.

 

Beth called him at lunchtime and they had a calm but cautious talk that seemed to avoid the New York subject at all cost. He didn’t want to think about it too much. Yeah, he was a southern that had never left his hometown and he had never felt too embarrassed about it until Beth mentioned something about a plane to get there.

“A plane? Can’t we go there by bike?”

“Daryl, it’s a twelve-hour driving way” she told him. And nostalgia invaded him again.

 

Hershel invited him for dinner, and he appeared there at the arranged hour. A small and ridiculous worry attacked him suddenly. He didn’t want to be the only one without a couple except for Hershel. He was totally used to being alone, but he wasn’t sure if he could deal with the balls and chains while his Beth was miles away.

In the middle of their supper, Shawn cleared his throat.

“Julie and I have news” Daryl felt Maggie’s sparkling stare from the other side of the table, “We’re gonna be parents!”

Maggie stood up suddenly to hug Julie, both of them beaming. Hershel got up as well and hugged Julie and Shawn. Daryl did the same and found himself surrounded by his in-law suffocating hugs before Julie hugged him as tightly as her husband.

“But how are you gonna have a baby if you’re a baby yourself?” Maggie mocked him, revolving his hair fondly. Daryl felt slightly out of place, in such an intimate celebration in where Beth and not he should be, but he couldn’t just leave.

He watched Julie. She wasn’t ugly at all: she had a tall, graceful frame, with high cheekbones, dark blue-eyes crowned by long eyelashes, and brown hair which fell over her shoulders. However, that night was especially pretty. Her face was glowing as if a candle was lit up inside her head, an unmistakable sign of her state. He remembered Merle saying a long time ago that about pregnant woman. Something about how they shined, how “good” they looked before her bump appeared, and how much he’d like to _try_ one. Daryl had stopped listening after that, but the memory remained in his mind. He couldn’t help but wonder how Beth could possibly glow even more if she was pregnant. She was light in herself.

He shook his head and decided to not think about it anymore.

* * *

 

“Daryl! There’s a call for you!” Patricia screamed, moving through the crowd with the phone on her hand. Daryl broke his gaze from the window, from where he watched arrive the almost two hundred guests, and turned around to pick it up.

“Hello?”

“Daryl?” he immediately recognized Beth’s voice, “Daryl, I’m-“

The deafening racket didn’t let him listen to her.

“What? Hold on” He grunted, getting into the bathroom. He closed the door and locked it to avoid interruptions, “Where are you? Wedding’s about to start and your sister’s gonna become one-armed if she keeps biting her nails”.

“The flight’s canceled” she exclaimed. It was like she was really agitated, “C’mon, there must be something! Hold on a sec, Daryl”.

He heard her press a button and he didn’t listen anything anymore. After a few seconds her voice reappeared.

“How is it cancelled? You should’ve taken it an hour ago”.

“I’ve been trying to call you. They say the first flight available won’t be here in at least three hours. They can’t do anything” she explained.

“Wedding starts in half an hour” Daryl countered.

“I know that, don’t pressure me!” she retorted, her voice pitched from her nervousness.

“Can’t you come here driving?”

“If I do that for when I arrive there Maggie and Glenn will already have grandchildren” Beth sighed, “I think I’ll be able to make it for the reception…”

Daryl sat on the toilet, resting his head on his hand.

“Daryl, are you there?”

“Yeah, I’m here” he finally answered, “So, three hours?”

“In the worst case” she told him, “I’m sorry, love”.

“You should be. My girlfriend’s gonna be murdered by her sister” he got to make her laugh, and his worry faded away a little bit.

“I’ll try to get there as soon as possible. I’ll hijack a plane if necessary” she joked. Daryl couldn’t help but chuckling when he thought about a tiny Beth dressed up threatening a dude twice her height with stabbing him with clippers if he didn’t get her home, “Save me a dance and try to not flirt with the bridesmaids”.

“Don’t worry, they’re all seven-year-olds” he said. She laughed one last time before she hung up, but he just could half grin tiredly. He sighed and got up. There was nothing he could do.

 

He got out of the bathroom to search Maggie and tell her, but he ran into Glenn, whose face was dangerously green. The boy stepped back from the impact, and Daryl grabbed him to avoid having the groom fainting.

“Careful there” he told him, and he realized Glenn was about to puke, “Wha’s wrong?”

“I’m… nervous” he said, swallowing hard. He wiped his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand and looked at him, “Do you know how many people are out there?”

“Don’t tell me you’re gonna recoil, Rhee” Daryl half-joked. Glenn shook his head.

“It’s not that, is… dude, there are two hundred fifty people. My family will be watching, hers, folks I don’t even know… I’m not sure I can make it in front of all those people. I should’ve listened to her when she asked me to get married in Las Vegas”.

Daryl contained a laugh. The truth is that fitted better with her friend than that wedding full of strangers. The only reason why he didn’t laugh was because he was afraid Glenn would throw up all over him. Besides, Daryl felt a little bad for him.

“Hey, calm down” he patted his back, “I’m not… an expert or anything, but-“

“Oh, you think so?” he replied sarcastically.

“You want advice or not?” he told him dryly. Glenn nodded, muttering “sorry” while he leaned over the railing, “Just look at her. Look at Maggie and forget ‘bout people”.

“Easier said than done”.

“It’s _your_ wedding, right?” he said before he patted him one last time and leaving. He knew he was a total useless at giving advice, especially when it was an advice on how to deal with crowds, but it was worth the shot.

 

Finally, he found the oldest Greene sister in front of a mirror, surrounded by a lot of girls who wouldn’t stop saying “ooh”, letting out little screams and wiping her tears while they repeated over and over again how beautiful she looked.

Truth is, Daryl’s jaw dropped. Her dress was a strapless neckline, and it was long and filmy. Her veil fell gracefully over her carefully brushed hair, and a few strands of it were left on her face. She turned around to look at him when she spotted him on the reflection.

“Well” she started, extending her arms, “What do you think?”

“Holy shit” he exclaimed. The other girls looked at him as if he had grown a second head, but Maggie just laughed.

“Thanks” she answered, flattered, “Did you see Glenn? I can’t find him”.

“Yeah, he’s about to have a seizure” he said nonchalantly, “But I came to tell you something else. Privately” he added. Maggie seemed surprised.

“Yeah... I mean, sure. Girls, would you mind leaving us for a second?” They nodded before they exited the room. Once the last one had closed the door, she smiled nervously, “What’s wrong? Don’t scare me, Daryl”.

“Beth’s not gonna make it in time” he said all of a sudden, thinking that it would hurt less, just like you get rid of a band-aid, but he realized too late that maybe that subject needed to be talked more gently.

Her eyes widened first. Then she frowned, and finally, her face contracted in a expression of rage.

“No”.

“’M sorry”.

“Daryl!” she cried out, “How did it happen?”

“Her flight was cancelled” he explained, feeling a bit threatened by the girl, who seemed to be about to explode.

“I can’t believe it!” she snapped, turning around, “Where I’m gonna find my godmother now?”

“She said she thinks she’ll arrive in time for the reception” he added, but he regretted instantly. He thought it was ridiculous. He knew better than interrupting Maggie when she was extremely angry.

“Oh, _great_ ” she replied bitterly, “I’ll need a godmother to cut the cake”.

She sighed and sat on the bed. Daryl stood there, not knowing what to do.

“But what was I thinking about?” she whined, her face buried between her hands; “I just wanted a quiet wedding. It’d be just Glenn and I, and maybe our families. You, Beth, Julie, Shawn, my dad, their parents and his sisters, Patricia, Otis… that’s it. I don’t get why we invited so many people”.

“Well…” Daryl tried to think of something useful, “at least you’ll have more wedding gifts”.

Maggie raised her head to look at him, and suddenly, she started laughing. It was a nervous and almost hysterical laugh, but it was better than her rage, and Daryl found himself laughing with her. It was almost like a reminder of the old times, of those nights where it was just the two of them and a couple beers while they talked about anything.

It seemed like a lifetime had passed since then.

Maggie stood up and hugged him suddenly.

“And you were just the redneck who beat the shit outta my ex” she said, like she could read his mind, “Now look at you, so fancy in your new suit”.

Daryl blushed, and she laughed harder without malice.

“You’re my family now” she continued, now serious. She moved suddenly and kissed him on his cheek, “I’m sorry about Beth not coming. I’m so fucking selfish… it’s bad for you too”.

“It’s your damn wedding. I think you can be a bit selfish today” she muttered something in response, “Don’t matter, she’ll arrive later”.

“Then it’s not so bad, isn’t it?” he shook his head as music started playing from downstairs. Maggie made a pained expression, “Oh, no”.

“You can always jump through the window, Greene” he joked, and she punched him lightly on his arm.

“I’m not gonna chicken, Dixon” she told him, “If you’ll excuse, my future husband’s awaiting for me”.

She put an expression of dignity on her face while he sent her a look that told her that he didn’t buy that “lady” bullshit, and she got out with her head up towards the stairs. He sighed and followed her.

It was going to be a wedding hard to forget.

* * *

 

The lands that surrounded Green’s farm were big enough to hold the wedding and all of its guests, so they had put hundreds of chairs in front of the “aisle” in where Glenn and Maggie would become wife and husband. The latecomers hurried in take a seat and people stopped talking while Maggie kept checking everything was perfect before she started walking down the aisle with his dad. That group of girls had surrounded her again, and Glenn looked like an statue, standing there with shaky hands and a nervousness expression on his face, but at least his face wasn’t green anymore.

Daryl walked to the last row to sit down when he heard it. It was like a vehicle entering the Greene’s property at full speed. A sound like that could be heard anywhere in those silent lands, especially if people were quiet. All heads turned to watch how an old Ford arrived.

 

Daryl couldn’t believe what his eyes were seeing: Beth with her heels on one hand, getting out that car and turning to tell something to the driver, and suddenly running towards them. Two hundred people, including the orchestra and groom and bride stared at the little blond get to them breathless, her dress moving back and forth at the beat of her hurried steps.

“Beth!” he exclaimed, too impressed to say anything else. She stopped and smiled at him, but she couldn’t approach him, because Maggie was already squeezing her with all of her strength, almost crying.

“I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!” she said while she hugged her more and more tightly, “I thought you were gonna stand me up, you’re the worst godmother ever and an awful sister!”

But Beth could just laugh, hugging her back while she tried to wipe her tears. She told her something and Maggie nodded, coming back to her daddy to walk down the aisle. Beth put her heels on and moved discretely to her place, not before giving him a fondly squeeze on his ass when she walked by him. Again speechless, Daryl couldn’t do anything except for watching her while she stood beside the bride.

And standing there, all disheveled, her cheeks flushed from the sprint and her dusty feet, he thought she was the prettiest girl in that wedding.

* * *

 

Once the priest said “you may kiss the bride” and Glenn kissed Maggie softly, who was already crying again, everyone stood up to clap and congratulate the newlyweds. However, Daryl walked in the other direction, looking for _her_.

It was almost like she could read his mind, because they suddenly found each other in the middle of the dance floor set in the Greene’s land, both of them still while the crowd kept moving, ignorant of their reencounter.

“You always have to be a force of nature, huh” he muttered before she beamed and threw herself against him immediately, “I thought your flight was cancelled”.

Beth just smiled and put his hands on her waist, wounded her arms around his necks and started moving to the dance of the soft music that had started playing.

“Well… let’s say I was lucky” she told him mysteriously. Daryl frowned, confused.

“Lucky? Beth, what did you do? You didn’t really hijack a flight, did ya?” Beth laughed.

“I really thought I wouldn’t make it to the plane. I was thinking about it so much, but… I finally made a choice and that’s the important thing. Now I’m here, with you” and she caressed his nape with her thumb.

“Beth?” he repeated, totally lost.

“Yeah?” she muttered absently.

“What’re you talking ‘bout?”

Beth started laughing.

“I didn’t accept the job” she said, hugging him. He was in shock for a few seconds, and then he moved her away gently. Again, they were the only ones still in that dance floor.

“I’ve thought about it a lot. I was totally determined to accept if, but I talked to Amy today and she understood. You have to admit I’m a very good actress” she smiled, “ I wanna graduate in this college, and I wanna move in with you, but not in New York. I don’t wanna be far from our family and our friends. I wanna be able to visit them without having to take a plane, and I wanna teach music here, and… I don’t think they allow dudes with crossbows hunting squirrels in Central Park” Daryl chuckled, and she looked at him teasingly, “Besides, I know you’re afraid of planes”.

Daryl stared at her with wide eyes before he snorted and pressed her against him.

“’M afraid of nothin’, Greene” he whispered on her ear. He grinned when she shivered.

“I’m positive ‘bout that” she agreed, her face mere inches away from his. Daryl was about to kiss her when she moved away, frowning lightly, “But I have a condition”.

“What?” he asked, too distracted by the vision of her soft and inviting lips. She touched his chin lightly and he fixed his eyes with hers.

“You have to teach me to use your crossbow” she answered, in a totally serious tone. Daryl chuckled and rounded her waist, moving her closer to him to keep swaying with the music.

“Deal” Daryl muttered before he kissed her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you really liked it ^^ You're totally free to leave a comment and tell me what you thought of everything, whether it was good or bad. Every single comment helps me to improve!  
> See you soon!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading and please comment!


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